"sj^LH  sifjijr 


Samuel  Mmtston  Marf arlatid 


"'Tr~n"7'r*  """~"^"-™™i.--M-»n,  ^ 


) 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROE  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


mf  tbis  Edition  dp  L^xe 

l7a\?e  b^^i)  ppirit^d. 


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STRIKE. 


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ADE  BV^ 


WY6E5  &CTEEKUE5 


THE  SATURDAY  BLADE] 


THE  CHICAGO  LED6ER  (500,000  weekIy 


THE  CHICAGO  WORLD 


CHICAGO,  ILL. 


R.   R.  DONNKLLF.V   St  SONS  CO.,  CHICAGO 


5 


INTRODUCTION. 

A  glance  at  the  presentation  page  will  reveal  the  fact  that  the  pub- 
lisher has  not  issued  this  volume  for  revenue  only,  nor  for  protection,  but 
principally  for  the  good  of  the  fraternity.  Close  inspection  of  the  tints 
and  texts  of  the  turning  leaves,  which  have  been  pressed  into  use  for  better 
preservation,  may  prove  most  pleasant  and  profitable  to  the  reader;  pleasant 
because  the  artistic  illustrations  bring  to  mind  pictures  of  free  out-door 
I'ecreation,  and  profitable  because  business  may  be  increased  by  adopting 
the  suggestions  made  so  plain  that  "even  he  who  runs  may  read." 

It  was  one  of  the  modern  philosophers  who  asserted  that  "  nothing 
succeeds  like  success,"  and  judged  by  this  standard  the  publisher  and  pre- 
senter of  the  present  volume  is  truly  a  successful  man.  He  flourishes  a 
Blade  more  popular  and  powerful  than  the  ancient  "  blade  of  Damascus," 
and  no  publisher  of  the  present  dav  can  show  a  brighter  or  better  Ledger 
than  the  one  which  comes  from  his  ofiice.  Mr.  Boyce  might  not  be 
willing  to  stand  forth  and  make  this  just  claim  in  his  own  behalf,  but  the 
editor  of  this  work  merelv  admits  a  well-known  fact  and  violates  no  con- 
fidence in  disclosing  this  open  secret  to  all  the  world  and  the  rest  of 
mankind. 

Having  given  credit  to  whom  credit  is  due  m  this  respect,  the  writer 
hastens  to  acknowledge  his  obligations  to  several  of  the  standard  authorities 
on  American  field  sports  and  fishing  for  material  aid  in  preparing  this  vol- 
ume. To  Isaac  McLellan,  the  poet-sportsman,  due  credit  should  be  given 
for  most  of  the  stanzas  introducing  the  various  descriptive  sketches  of  the 
game  fishes,  animals  and  \>irds  of  the  United  States.  These  poetical  selec- 
tions are,  for  the  most  part,  taken  from  McLellan's  excellent  "  Poems  of 
the  Rod  and  Gun,"  a  book  of  rare  interest  to  anglers  and  sportsmen. 

The  well-known  treatise,  entitled  "  American  Game  Fishes,"  and  the 
practical  book,  "  Fishes  of  the  East  Atlantic  Coast,"  by  Messrs.  Louis  O. 
Van  Doren  and  Samuel  C.  Clarke,  veteran  anglers,  have  likewise  fur- 
nished valuable  matter,  for  which  proper  acknowledgment  has  been  made 
elsewhere  under  the  several  heads  or  chapters  where  the  writers  above 
named  are  quoted. 


In  the  arrangement  of  the  subject-matter  the  writer  has  been  guided 
principally  by  the  directions  of  the  publisher — whose  instructions  to  author, 
artist  and  printer,  were  to  spare  neither  time,  labor  or  expense  in  the  pre- 
paration of  a  book  to  grace  the  library  of  the  sportsman,  the  angler  and 
the  man  of  business. 

It  has  l)een  the  belief  of  Mr.  \V.  D.  Boyce  that  a  valuable  work  of 
reference,  combining  the  information  hitherto  attainable  only  by  possession 
of  a  sporting  library,  could  be  produced  in  attractive  form,  for  the  benefit 
of  busy  men  who  have  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  make  extensive 
research  for  such  facts. 

The  "Fish  Tales"  and  "Hunters'  Yarns,"  taken  in  moderation,  with 
spirited  illustrations,  ad  lib.,  may  serve  as  a  prescription  to  drive  away  the 
blues.  Such,  at  least,  is  the  design  of  the  publisher  and  his  fellow  con- 
spirator— F.  E.  Pond. 

PUBLISHER'S    NOTE. 

In  the  compilmgand  publishing  of  this  little  work  I  wish  to  acknowl- 
edge the  valuable  services  of  Fred  E.  Pond,  (Will  Wildwood)  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  National  Game  and  Fish  Protective  Association  of  the  United 
States,  who  compiled,  under  my  direction,  the  matter  herein  contained. 
Also  that  of  Wm.  H.  Schmedtgen,  the  well-known  artist,  whose  work 
herein  speaks  for  itself  and  will  be  praised  b}'  all  who  see  it.  The  com- 
position, make-up,  press-work  and  binding  has  been  done  by  my  valued 
friend  and  former  partner,  Mr.  R.  R.  Donnelley,  who  stands  as  the  leading 
artist-printer  in   Chicago. 

The  true  cause  for  the  publication  of  this  book  is  to  afford  us  an 
opportunity  to  compliment  our  friends  and  show  them  that  we  will  not 
allow  them  to  forget  us.  Trulv, 

W.  D.  Boyce. 


CONTENTS. 


REMARKS   ON   ANGLING. 

History  of  Axglixg,  Writers,  etc.,       .  .  .  .  9-21 

GAME   FISHES. 

Fresh  Water  Fishes,  --.-..       22-40 

Salt  Water  Fishes,  ......  41-52 

FISH   TALES. 

A    Series    of    Remarkable    Stories    by    well-kxowx    Adver- 
tisers, Advertisixg  Agexts,    Railroad    Men,  etc.,  (illustrated)     52-84 

HUNTING   YARNS. 

Advextures,  Anecdotes,  Remixiscexces,  etc.,  as  told  by  per- 
sons   WHOSE     XAMES    WILL     BE     RECOGXIZED   BY    ALL    WHO    SCAX  THE 

Advertisixg   Columns  of  Newspapers,  (illustrated)  -  -       85-92 

FISHING  BY   STATES. 

Resorts  ix  Northerx,  Southerx,  Eastern  axd  VVesterx  States,  93-98 

FISHING   BY  nONTHS. 

Seasons  whex  to  Fish  to  best  Advaxtage,    -  -  -  99-101 

HUNTING. 

Four-Footed  Game,         .-...-  105-112 

WATER  FOWL, 

Field  Birds,  -  -  -  -  -  -  -         115-120 


THREE   OF   A    KIND." 


It  is  said  that  the  fisherman,  general  advertiser  and  newspaper  man 
are  "  three  of  a  kind."  This  I  have  always  been  told  beats  "  two  pair."' 
The  reason,  however,  I  understand,  they  are  entered  in  the  same  class,  is 
not  so  much  because  they  do  not  always  stick  to  the  truth,  but  because 
they  are  not  always  believed. 

Seriously,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  the  same  makeup  in  the  true 
sportsman  and  angler,  plucky  advertiser  and  hustling  newspaper  man. 
The  fisherman  must  often  wait  and  make  many  casts  before  he  gets 
"  a  strike  "  —  the  general  advertiser  often  casts  his  bread  upon  the  waters 
for  years  before  it  returns  to  him  one  hundred  fold  —  the  publisher  must 
keep  everlastingly  hustling  or  sink  out  of  sight.  Long  waiting  and 
patience  is  a  necessary  characteristic  of  the  "  three  of  a  kind."  Quick 
results  are  secured  by  advertising  in  Boycc's  Big-    Weeklies. 


REMARKS    ON   ANGLING. 


"A  taper  rod,  a  slender  line, 

A  bait  to  tempt  the  fishes. 
And  in  the  shade  of   oak  or  pine 
One  may  the  wicked  world  resign 

And  all  its  sinful  wishes." 

'A  gamy  fight,  a  landed  prize. 
Perhaps  a  bass  to  mention. 
And  tho'  the  world  may  advertise 
'Twill  never  out  of  art  devise 
A  parallel  invention." 

'  O   wearied  souls  that  sigh  for  peace 

And  search  the  town,  e'er  failing. 
Here  is  unwatered  bliss  to  lease, 
With  interest  beginning  to  increase  — 

And   'sou'west'  winds  prevailing." 

^'"T^ngling  is  probably  the  most  ancient  of  out- 
jreations.  In  the  Apostolic  days  Peter 
go  a-fishing,"  and  his  brother  disciples 
responded,  "  we  also,  will  go  with  thee."  Before 
the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era  angling  was 
enjoyed  as  a  pastime,  thongh  it  had  not  developed 
mto  a  profound  science.  When  the  Divine  hand 
brought  order  out  of  chaos,  created  the  earth,  and 
apportioned  to  the  surface  three-fourths  water 
and  one-fourth  of  dry  land,  the  relative  importance  of  fish- 
ing as  compared  with  the  sports  of  the  field,  was  forever 
fixed  and  can  scarcely  be  questioned.  It  has  been  said  in 
favor  of  angling  that  "  it  is  a  one-handed  game,  that 
would  have  suited  Adam  himself  ;  it  is  the  onlyone  by 
w^hich  Noah  could  have  amused  himself  in  the  ark,"  and  these  truths 
seem  self-evident. 

Of  ancient  angling,  as  practiced  b}'  the  EgA'ptians,  the  Assyrians,  the 
Romans,  and  other  races  of  ye  olden  time,  little  need  be  said  in  this  volume. 
It  may  be  safely  assumed  that  the  majority  of  fishers  in  that  past  age 
fished  for  food,  not  for  pleasure.  The  angling  appliances  of  the  ancients 
were  so  crude  and  coarse — as  evidenced  by  the  relics  of  this  kind  pre- 
served in  various  museums — that  it  would  be  ridiculous  to  term  their 
method  of  fishing  a  "  gentle  art."  Sinews  and  strings  of  raw-hide  were 
the  ordinary  fishing  lines,  and  the  hooks  were  roughly  formed  of  bone  or 
metal.  Respect  for  the  reputation  of  the  good  and  great  men  who  inhab- 
ited the  earth  when  it  was   comparatively  new,  prevents  modern  authors 


on  angling  from  entertaining  a  belief  that  ,/ 
the  fishes  of  old  were  caught  "by^  mai»w*- 
strength  and  ignorance,"  and  the  same  rever- 
ence for  antiquity  will  of  course  banish  the^,,:^^ 
satirical  definition  of  old-time  ang- 
ling as  "  a  stick  and  a  string,  with 
a  fish  at  one  end  and  a  fool  at, 
other."  The  writer  will 
the  statement,  however,  ■ 
anglers  of  ancient  days  earned 
more  live,  natural  flies  tWn  artificial  (5nes^^d^-itig:'fheir  fishing  excursions. 
In  the  legends  and  lyrics  presery-ed^cum  grano  sails — from  the  past, 
references  are  made  to  mighty  mythical  anglers,  worthy  of  a  place  at  the 
caiiip  fire  or  in  the  club  rooms  of  the  modern  association  of  Angling 
Ananiases.     Of  one  of  those  old  worthies  it  was  said: 

"  He  baited   his  hook  with  dragons'  tails, 
And  sat  on   a   rock  and  bobbed  for   whales." 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  turn  from  the  famous  and  the  fabulous  fishers  of  the 
dim  past,  to  the  anglers  and  angling  of  a  more  recent  period.  Foremost 
in  the  literature  of  angling  stands  that  quaint  and  pleasing  volume,  "  The 
Compleat  Angler,"  written  by  Izaak  Walton,  whose  tercentenary  was 
celebrated  quietly  and  appropriately,  August  9,  1893,  at  the  Walton 
Cottage — a  unique  building,  modeled  after  his  famous  fishing  lodge  on  the 
River  Dove — and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  great  fly-casting  tourna- 
ment, held  September  21,  1893,  within  the  enclosure  of  the  World's 
Columbian  Exposition,  was  contested  on  the  lagoon  in  front  of  the  same 
cosy  cot  which  had  been  erected  there  in  honor  of  the  world-renowned 
angler  and  author. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  though  entirely  in  harmony  with  the  eternal 
fitness  of  things,  that  the  earliest  published  treatise  on  the  gentle  art  of 
angling  was  written  by  one  of  the  gentle  sex,  Dame  Juliana  Berners, 
whose  "  Treatyse  of  Fysshynge  wyth  an  Angle,"  issued  in  the  year  1496, 
antedated  the  work  of  our  beloved  Izaak  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years.  The  instructions  given  by  the  venerable  Dame  are  more  curious 
than  concise  or  correct,  as  applied  to  the  wants  of  scientific  devotees  of  rod 
and  reel  in  the  nineteenth  century,  but  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  America  had  not  been  discovered  when  Juliana 
Herners  wrote  her  book,  and  the  lady,  although  celebrated 
for  her  learning  and  accomplishments,  had  not  the  gift  of 
prophecy  to  foretell  of  fish  and  fishing  in  the  (then)  unknown 
but  now  "Universal  Yankee  Nation." 


Although  the  precepts  of  the  quaint  treatise  appear  antiquated  and 
amusing  to  a  degree,  nearly  all  devoted  lovers  of  angling  will  heartily  agree 
with  the  feminine  philosophy  embodied  in  the  statement  that  many  miseries 
attend  the  sports  of  hunting,  hawking,  and  fowling,  and  "dowteles  thenne 
folovvyth  it,  that  it  must  nedes  be  the  dysporte  of  fysshynge  wyth  an 
angle  that  causeth  a  long  lyfe  and  a  mery."  The  conclusion  thus  drawn 
may  not  be  satisfactory,  nor  the  reasons  clear  to  a  field  sportsman,  but  they 
are  ample  for  the  angling  brotherhood. 

Following  down  the  line  of  famous  English  authors,  from  the  days 
of  Walton  to  the  present  time,  it  will  be  found  that  most  of  the  immortals 
have  published  pleasant  words  relating  to  fishing  as  a  pastime,  and  Sir 
Humphrey  Davy  gave  to  the  world  evidence  of  his  love  for  the  theme 
by  writing  that  admirable  work,  "  Salmonia,  or  Days  of  Fly  Fishing ;" 
while  Prof.  John  Wilson  (the  inimitable  "Christopher  North")  in  his 
Nodes  Ambrosianae^  recorded  some  of  the  most  attractive  observations 
on  angling  in  the  whole  range  of  modern  literature. 

In  America  several  prominent  literary  men  of  the  past  half  century 
have  delighted  the  fishing  fraternity  with  angling  books  and  essays.  Dr. 
Geo.  W.  Bethune,  the  great  divine,  found  time  amid  his  more  serious 
labors,  to  prepare  an  elaborate  American  edition  of  Walton's  Complete 
Angler,  and  Hon.  Robert  B.  Roosevelt,  diplomat  and  scholar,  has  written 
several  volumes  on  fishing  as  entertaining  and  instructive  in  their  way 
as  are  the  thrilling  works  by  his  nephew, — the  gifted  Theodore  Roose- 
velt— descriptive  of  the  wild  sports  of  the  West.  The  well-earned  fame 
of  Charles  Lanman  rests  equally  upon  his  achievements  as  artist  and 
angling  author  ;  while  Henr\'  William  Herbert,  the  classical  scholar  and 
novelist,  is  best  remembered  under  the  name  of  "  Frank  Forester,"  his 
works  on  fishing  and  field  sports  taking  high  rank  at  the  present  day, 
though  his  historical  romances,  upon  which  he  believ^ed  his  literary  repu- 
tation must  depend,  are  nearly  forgotten  by  the  reading  public. 

It  is  evident    that    a    pastime  which    holds   T^e /attention   ajid   warm 
admiration   of  scliolarly    men   must  have   xx^\\c\\  ^o^^oi^'a^^ 
"  passeth  the  understanding  "  of  those  who  Jmve^ 
go  a-fishing.      The   familiar  adage,  "spare  ^tb^  X^< 
has  been  misuntlerstood  and   the   rod  mis^.^§| 
for  many  generations  past.      The  propel"  r|)(T  few 
the  youth,  in  most  cases,  is  not  the  birch  bat   the 
bamboo,    and    this    should    be    gently    pliiced  .wi- 
the  hand  of  the  young    student,  with  ^  jiidici 
instructions  as  to  the  best  times  and  "pi 
conning     his     new    lines,    concluding    ,witS-?^g 


injunction  that  lie  must  never  allow  his  fly  book  to  cause 
neglect  of  his  school  books. 

Many  born  anglers   have  been  driven  almost  to  des- 
peration, their  minds  and  bodies  suffering  from  the  afore- 
said   misapplication  of    the  rule    and  the  rod.      Give  the 
schoolboy  a  good  hook  and  line  and  rod,  w^ith  occasional 
holidays   for  their  use,  and  if  he  is  of  the   right  sort   he 
will  not    "  play   hookey,"   nor  will    he  miss  his  lines,  or 
require  the  use  of  the  rod  in  the  school  room.     If  parents 
and  pedagogues  would  learn  that  there  are   times  in   the  training 
of  boys  when  a  rod   in  the  hand  is   worth    two  on  the  back,  and 
that  there  are  valuable  lessons  in  the  running  brooks  as  well  as  in 
books,  the  world  would  be  better  and  brighter. 

Recreation  is  not  merely  amusement  and  relief  from  toil.  In 
its  best  form — as  for  example,  in  angling — recreation  literally  re- 
creates both  mind  and  body;  mental  troubles  vanish  and  bodily  ills 
mysteriously  depart  under  the  soothing  influence  of  the  forest 
shade  and  the  pleasant  song  of  the  brook.  Nature  is  the  true 
healer,  and  the  fishing  rod  is  a  magic  wand  to  be  waved  over  the 
waters,  for  mortal  man  will  never  come  nearer  the  perennial  Fount- 
ain of  Youth  than  when  he  stands  upon  the  brink  of  some  crystal 
trout  pool,  or  close  to  a  circling  eddy,  where  the  salmon  leaps. 

Any  angler  can  vouch  for  the  fact  that  it  is  not  all  of  fishing 
to  fish.  The  alternate  effects  of  sun  and  shade,  the  sights  and  sounds 
along  sylvan  shores,  the  balmy  breeze,  the  odors  of  pine  and  balsam  and 
the  wild  flowers  of  the  wilderness — all  these  and  a  thousand  other  things 
only  incidentally  connected  with  fishing  bring  health  and  happiness  to 
the  ardent  angler.     In  the  words  of  Sir  Edgerton  Brydges : 

"  It  is  a  mingled  rapture,  and  we  find 
The  bodily  spirit  mounting  to  the  mind." 

No  other  out-door  pastime  is  so  free  from  noise,  tiu'moil  and  con- 
fusion; so  calm  and  peaceful,  in  the  intervals  or  interludes  of  the 
play — the  periods  between  expectation  and  realization — when  the  chirp 
)f'  the^jjprfcket.  and  the  carol  of  birds  relieve  rather  than  break  the 
lence^^nd  the  angler  rejoices  in  moments  of  meditation, 
quietly  communes  with  the  silent  voices  of  Nature. 
,. .  ..{ileasant  ballad  entitled  The  Angler's  Song,  quaint 
^1^.  Wa. — as  he  signs  himself  at  the  end  of  the  Epistle 
iCatory  of  the  "  Compleat  Angler " — the  charm  of 
filing  as  a  contemplative  pastime  is  thus  set  forth  : 


Of    recreation    there    is    none 
So    free    as    fishing    is    alone ; 
All    other   pastimes   do    no    less 
Than    mind    and    body   both    possess ; 
M}'   hand    alone    my  work  can    do, 
So    I    can    fish    and    study    too. 


13 


In  an  entertaining  essay  on  the  pleasures 
of  anu^ling,  the  late  "  Harry  Fernwood"  gave 
tlic  following  comments  on  the  theory  and 
piactice:  _  "And  so  these  men,  whose  teaefe- 
jngs  1  would  emulate,  wore  awa\-  their  days 
.Iranquilly  into  the  nineties.  They  saw  their 
.^letlows  pursuing  intangible  spectres  —  tlTfe„ 
^^iK&^rse  of  avarice,  and  the  sham  hapjjiness  of 
-,  wealth,  under  which,  in  the  heyday  of  man- 
hood, they  sank  out  of  sight  and  retfoTIection. 
Not  that  it  is  foil}-  to  get  riches.  The  acquire- 
ment of  fortune  is  all  very  well  if  not  taken 
in  exchange  for  health,  which  is  at  all  odds  the  greatest 
of  riches,  of  comforts,  and  of  blessings.  *  *  *  The 
human  system  is  like  a  bow,  which,  in  order  to  preserve 
the  tension,  must  be  relaxed  occasionally,  and  which  becomes  a  worthless 
thing  when  its  elasticitv  is  no  longer  apparent. 

"  Why  should  Dame  Juliana  Berners  write  a  work  on  angling? 
Because  she  found  a  charm  in  it.  Nor  is  she  wanting  in  admirers  of 
her  sex  these  five  centuries  past.  On  all  my  jaunts  I  meet  the  fairer 
patrons  of  the  craft.  And  proper  it  is  for  them — far  better  for  their  future 
health  than  to  become,  like  their  fashionable  sisters,  listless,  wan  and 
flounced  for  show,  dozing  away  the  genial  warmth  of  a  summer  da}-, 
invoking  the  '  tedious '  hours  on  speed,  and  then  to  vex  with  mirth  the 
drowsy  ear  of  night,  toying  with  fan  and  ammoniacal  salts  to  coax  the 
senses  back. 

"'To  me  more  dear,  congenial  to  my  heart, 
One  native  charm,  than  all  the  gloss  of  art.'" 

"  When  fatigued  and  worn  by  the  cares  of  a  sedentary  profession  I 
have  stolen  away  from  the  sultry  town  to  some  clear  lake  or  stream,  where 
the  dandelion  flecked  the  new-made  green,  and  the  blossomed  orchards  were 
fair  to  see.  The  sweet  notes  of  the  first  birds  of  spring  have  cheered  me 
on  the  way,  and  my  lure  has  gently  rii:)pled  the  glassy  pool  ere  yet  the  blue 
smoke  was  curling  from  the  cottage  tops.  I  have  known  the  struggle  with 
'the  wiry  genii  of  the  stream,  the  sensations  which  thrilled  my  every  nerve 
w  hen  the  hook  was  seized.  The  fears  of  losing  the  fish,  and  the  hope  of 
safely  landing  him  a  prey  to  artful  skill — the  quietude  of  mind  and  rest  of 
body  I  have  experienced  in  a  day  so  spent,  have  altogether  made  me  equal 
to  many  an  exigency  of  the  daily 
task.  And  that  is  why  I  am  an' 
.angler." 


..^"f^f^ 


William'^^/Porter,^atniliar-lv  known  ^^fi^^ork's  Tall    Son,"j[the 
editor  and  fo^ndeD^^Of  jth^^st, sport"; ni^n'^^^frtirn al  tn  Africa,):  piiblished 


m^y  year 


:^/n% 


.^ies 


pastime.    Thp  foil^vin^g^x^ac^^e  talien 
nally  appeaj^d  iH^tli^  "  " 

the    "J^im&s  \//'.  '/^¥/A 
yfi  ''^y-fishing  lias  been  de 
thjfe'  ar^-lep's  craft,   atu^^nnqvt^ 
eTegan^a^j^  to' men  of   La-ic  -n;  i>^'i"i« 

a    tn "  "  =-^=- 

JiaJfiook  almost 
as  delicate; 


ir  fpfaw  tl^  lavfen 
arft  sylph,  and  \v. 
thjsir' 
ment  mjuir 

mind,  .united  ^/Co||^srimjnatof 
you  ^m^  \crx  pre<)y^3«alpi. 
never ' wjet  /(  1  i nV^  tiKvl^akt-' 
Fly-fishing  require^   many 
be  eqximert'ated,   a   !i_;ht    and- 
thatf  caiy>;|quint  .-lia^;-ht,>^^^ 

touch"  -^    ./V,..l--:,./::1=^<^ 

/  "Frdt 
of  /the^^er 
St.  Liawix-nce,  trOut' 
utmost  per,  f  c  L- 1  i  <  I  n . 
IS  nQt-tr^iN^thc  cow  slip  ha^ 
your  ^riwqyal)6ted  vv4^^e  vk^fjr?^!  notes  of 
'  ep^indeil'a '  or  May-^t  is  seen  (  cotJrtin^.,^i€s  dt 
ov§r  th^/si^rfac^e  of 


-    of^^tigling,  his  favorite 

tx  thc^skeTches,  which  origi- 

cal,  Porter's  old  Spirit  of 

atic  branch  of 
the  ji^estz^ 

—To  lana 

e  pounds 

fimes  heavier,  with 

a  gut^ 
ngle 
a  tfiount- 
not  heavier 
s  an  achieve- 
little    presence    of 
t  give 


gplden  smi 

'-sparri 

"^  canton 

)rought  it 

iiifo  existence,  that  trout,-afe  '  iniHat^d;<I^:^^9on^ilficm^  rise  freely  to 

the  fly.     You  may  seethem  li>i^iij(g^^fl'^very  diri^^on   in   the  ponds   of 
I  y.Nevv  England;  while  on   Long^sl^d,  he  that/ca^ot  kill   a   few   brace 
at  the  close  of  a  summer  afternoon,  or  befcTre  the  sun  gets  up,  should   not 
be  allowed  to  wet  a  line." 

"  The  gray  and  green  drake,  which  nearest  resemble  the  May-fly, 
succeed  it  in  their  season,  and  are  equally  welcomed  by  'Johnny  Trout.' 
The   palmer  family   follow'   in   order,   and   may  be  used    throughout   the 


15 


<MZ^ 

Sde  T^ 

^r^ 

-IheuW^ 

>^  h'Z 

J; ^i^^^ 

-Tl 

(> 

fSmr^ 

ij./ 

elow, 

e,  g^rowing 

*  "aiuJ   tJien^ilCi'uns  for  the 

g-^UoQSC'  ;ili,l(M-'~   vcfJirZGertanily  earn 


A  taper  rod,  a  slender  line, 
A  bait  to  tempt  the  fishes, 
And  in  the  shade  of  oak  or  pine 


One  may  the  wicked  world  resign 
And  all  its  sinful  wishes. 

Geo.  F.  Bowex. 


17 


them.  Yet,  for  its  length,  it  is  nBt^'a  *Bad  brook.  The  trout  are  not 
numerous,  nor  large,  nor  especialh^  fine,  but  every  one  you  catch  renews 
your  surprise  that  you  should  catch  any  in  such  a  ribbon  of  a  brook.  Still 
farther  north  is  another  stream,  something  larger,  and  much  better  or 
worse,  according  to  your  luck.  It  is  easy  of  access,  and  quite  unpretend- 
ing. There  is  a  bit  of  a  pond,  some  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  from  which 
it  flows,  and  in  that  there  are  five  or  six  half-pound  trout,  who  seem  to 
have  retired  from  active  life  and  given  themselves  to  meditation  in  this 
liquid  convent.  They  were  very  tempting  but  quite  untemptable.  Stand- 
ing afar  off  we  selected  an  irresistible  fly,  and  with  long  line  we  sent  it 
pat  into  the  ver\'  place.  No  trout  should  have  hesitated  a  moment.  The 
morsel  was  delicious.  The  nimblest  of  them  should  have  flashed  through 
the  water,  broke  the  surface,  and  with  a  graceful  but  decisive  curve 
plunged  downward,  carrying  the  insect  with  him.  Then  \ve  should  in  our 
turn  very  cheerfully  lend  him  a  hand,  relieve  him  of  his  prey,  and  admiring 
his  beauty,  but  pitying  his  untimely  fate,  buried  him  in  the  basket.  But 
he  wished  no  translation.  We  cast  our  fly  again  and  again;  we  drew  it 
hither  and  thither;  we  made  it  skip  and  wriggle;  we  let  it  fall  plash  like 
a  surprised  miller;  and  our  audience  calmly  beheld  our  feats. 

Next  we  tried  ground  bait,  and  sent  our  vermicular  hook  down  to 
their  very  sides.  With  judicious  gravity  they  parted,  and  slowly  sailed 
toward  the  root  of  an  old  tree  on  the  side  of  the  pool.  Again  changing 
place,  we  will  make  an  ambassador  of  a  grasshopper.  Laying  down  our 
rod,  we  prepare  to  catch  the  grasshopper;  that  is  in  itself  no  slight  feat. 
The  first  step  you  take  at  least  forty  bolt  out,  and  tumble  headlong  in  the 
grass;  some  cling  to  the  stems,  some  are  creeping  under  the  leaves,  and 
not  one  seems  to  be  in  re^ch.  YoM  step  again;  another  flight  takes  place, 
and  you  ^yerJ^evy^ith  ^fierce,  pei^t^ation,  as  if  you  could  catch  some  one 
Vkrith  y^oxxY.^^J^ovi  c^jinot^thpu<>^h.      You  i)rush  the  grass  with  your  foot 

again.  Another  hundred  snap 
out,  and  tumble  about  in  every 
direction.  At  length  you  see 
a  verv  nice  voung  fellow  climb- 
ihpf  a  >tc'ci)le  stem.  You  take 
good  sixxix  aim  giab  at  him. 
r? i-Yi^xjiitc^  the  spire,  but  he  has 
juBipedfa  safe  rod.  Yonder  is 
'another,  creeping  among  some 


^t^:^$^ 


have 
and   t 
stalk 


delicate  ferns.  With  broad  palm  you  clutch  him  and  all  the  neighbor- 
ing herbage  too.  Stealthily  opening  your  little  finger,  you  see  his 
leg;  the  next  finger  reveals  more  of  him;  and  opening  the  next  you 
are  just  be^i^rmng  to  take  him  out  w^ith  the  other  hand,  when  out  he 
bounds  and/ufivves  you  to  renew  your  entomological  pursuits.  Twice  you 
snatch  hjvOwiulls  of  grass,  and  cautiously  open  your  palm  to  find  that  you 


ass.     It  is  quite  vexatious.     There  are  thousands  of  them  here 

climbing  and  wriggling  on   that   blade,  leaping   off  from    that 

ting  and   kicking   on    that   vertical   spider's   web,    jumping  and 

about  under  your  very  nose,  hitting  you   in  your   face,  creeping 

shoes,  and  yet  not  one  do  you  get.     If  any  tender-hearted  person 

ndered  how  a  humane  man  could  bring  himself  to  such  cruelty  as 

le  an  insect,  let  him  hunt  for  a  grasshojjper  in   a  hot  day  among 

ass,  and  when  at  length  he  secures  one,  the  affixing  him  upon  the 

hook  will  be  done  without  a  single  scruple,  and  as  a  mere 

matter  of  penal    justice,  and  with  judicial  solemnity. 

Now  then  the  trout  are  yonder.      We  swing  our  line  to 

the  air,  and  give  it  a  gentle  cast  toward  the  desired  spot, 

and  a  puff  of  south  wind  dexterously  lodges  it  in  the  branch 

of  a  tree.    You  plainly  see  it  strike,  and  whirl  over  and  over, 

so  that   no   gentle   pull   loosens   it ;   you    draw  it   north    and 

south,  east    and   west ;    you  give  it  a  jerk   up   and  a   pull 

down;  you  give  it  a  series  of  nimble  twitches;  you  coax  it 

in  this  way,  and  solicit  it  in   that  way,  in  vain.      Then   you 

stop  and  look  a  moment,  first  at  the  trout,  and  then  at  your 

line.     Was  there  anything  ever  so  vexatious.^     Would  it  be 

wrong  to  get  angry?     In  fact   you   feel  very  much   like  it. 

The  very  things  you  wanted  to  catch,  the  grasshopper  and 

the  trout,  you  could  not ;   but  a  tree,  that  you  did  not  want, 

you  have  caught  fast  at  the  first  throw.     You  fear  that  the 

trout  will  be  scared.     You  cautiously  draw  nigh  and  peep 

Yes,  there  they  are  looking  at  you,  and  laughing  as   sure  as 

ever  trout   laughed.     They   iniderstand    the   whole  thing.      With  a 

very  decisive  jerk  you  snap  your  line,  regain  the  remnant  of  it,  and 

sit  down  to  repair  it,  to  put  on   another   hook,  catch   another   grass- 

opper,  and  move  on  down  stream  to  catch  a  trout. 

But  let  us  begin.  Standing  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  your 
short  rod  in  hand,  let  out  twelve  to  twenty  feet  of  line,  varying  its  length 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  stream,  and,  as  far  as  it  can  be  done,  keep- 
ing its  position  and  general  conduct  under  anxious  scrutiny.  Just  here 
the   water  is   mid -leg  deep.      Experimenting   at   each    forward  reach  for 


a  firm  foot-hold,  slipping,  stumbling  over  some  uncouth  stone,  slipping  on 
the  moss  of  another,  reeling  and  staggering,  you  will  have  a  fine  oppor- 
tunity of  testing  the  old  philosophical  dictum,  that  you  can  think  of  but  one 
thing  at  a  time.  You  must  think  of  half  a  dozen;  of  your  feet,  or  you 
will  be  sprawling  in  the  brook;  of  your  eyes  and  face,  or  the  br^iches 
will  scratch  them;  of  your  line,  or  it  will  tangle  at  every  step;  of  your 
distant  hook  and  dimly  seen  bait,  or  you  will  lose  the  end  of  all  your 
ing.  At  first  it  is  a  puzzling  business.  A  little  practice  sets  things 
right. 

Do  you  see  that  reach  of  shallow  water  gathered  to  a  head  by  a  cross- 
bar of  sunken  rocks?  The  water  splits  in  going  over  upon  a  slab  of  rock 
below,  and  forms  an  eddy  to  the  right  and  one  to  the  left.  Let  us  tr 
grasshopper  there.  Casting  it  in  above,  and  guiding  it  by  a  motio*f 
your  rod,  over  it  goes,  and  whirls  out  of  the  myriad  bubbles  into  the  ei 
of  the  eddy,  when,  quick  as  a  wink,  the  water  breaks  open, 
a  tail  flashes  in  the  air  and  disappears,  but  re-appears  to  th 
instant  backward  motion  of  your  hand,  and  the  victim 
comes  skittering  up  the  stream,  whirling  over  and  over,  till 
your  hand  grasps  him,  extricates  the  hook,  and  slips  him 
into  the  basket.  Poor  fellow  !  you  want  to  be  sorry  for 
him,  but  every  time  3'ou  try  you  are  glad  instead.  Stand- 
ing still,  you  bait  again,  and  try  the  other  side  of  the  stre 
where  the  water,  wiping  off  the  bubbles  from  its  face, 
taking  toward  that  deep  spot  under  a  side  rock.  There! 
you've  got  him  !  Still  tempting  these  two  shores,  you  take 
five  in  all,  and  then  the  tribes  below  grow  cautious.  Let- 
ting your  line  run  before  you,  you  wade  along,  holding  on 
by  this  branch,  fumbling  with  your  feet  along  the  jagged 
channel,  changing  hands  to  a  bough  on  the  left  side,  leaning 
on  that  rock,  stepping  over  that  stranded  log.  Ripping  a 
generous  hole  in  your  skirt  as  you  leave  it,  you  come  to 
edge  of  the  pett}^  fall.  You  step  down,  thinking  only  how  to  keep 
your  balance,  and  not  at  all  of  the  probable  depth  of  water,  till  you 
splash  and  plunge  down  into  a  basin  w^aist-deep.  The  first  sens 
tion  of  a  man  up  to  his  vest  pockets  in  water,  is  peculiarly  fooli 
and  his  first  laugh  rather  faint;  and  he  is  afterward  a  little  ash 
of  the  alacrity  with  which'  he  scrambles  for  the  bank.  A 
brings  you  to  a  sand-bank  and  to  yourself.  But  while  you  arellin  a  scrape 
at  olie  end  of  your  line,  a  trout  hns  got  into  a  worse  one  at  the  Hither.  A 
little  flurried  with  surprise  at  both  experiences,  you  come  near  losing  him 
in  the  injudicious  haste  with  which  you  overhaul  him. 


"  Cold,  those  rivers,  as  the  fountains 

From  the  wilderness  that  flow, 
Cold  as  waters  of  the  mountains, 

Gelid  with  the  ice  and  snow, 
There  amid  the  soft  abysses, 

Or  the  river's  spring-fresh  tide, 
Gleaming,  flashing,  leaping,  diving. 

Shoals  of  lordly  salmon  glide." 

The  salmon  family  is  considered  the  royal  branch  in  tracing  the 
various  species  of  game  fish  in  American  waters,  and  the  sea  salmon  is 
undisputed  king  in  this  line.  It  is  not  solely  on  account  of  size  that  the 
salmon  holds  this  honored  position,  for  the  mascalonge  would  prove  a 
formidable  rival  in  this  respect,  but  it  is  the  combination  of  game  qualities, 
and  particularly  that  of  rising  to  the  artificial  fly  and  fighting  for  liberty 
when  hooked,  with  wonderful  strength,  activity  and  sagacity,  making  the 
result  doubtful  to  the  last,  that  gives  such  zest  to  salmon  fishing. 

Although  the  salmon  takes  an  annual  outing,  so  to  speak,  in  the 
ocean  waves,  it  is  practically  a  fresh  water  fish  from  the  angler's  point  of 
view,  as  it  is  born  in  the  clear  cold  rivers  flowing  to  the  sea,  and  returns  each 
season  to  the  vicinity  of  its  birth  place,  by  instinct  as  unerring  as  that  of 
the  carrier  pigeon.  No  ordinary  obstacle  will  stop  the  fish  when  ascending 
his  native  river,  and  remarkable  incidents  are  told  illustrating  the  endurance, 
perseverance  and  acrobatic  powers  of  the  salmon  in  overcoming  the 
natural  and  artificial  barriers  of  the  stream. 

It  is  now  believed  by  our  leading  naturalists  that  "  the  original  habitat 
of  the  entire  family  Salmonidte  was  in  fresh  water,  and  that  it  is  the  sea 


22 


J-f^:^ 


But*-^m 


-i>Mt*i(^z- 


salmon  which  has  become  erratic— the  -disturbances  of  'I 
having  driven  them  out  of  their  primitive  inland  possessions, 
obedience  to  the  law  of  evolution  which  requires  posterity  to 
the  same  biological  changes  as  their  progenitors  did,  all  salmon  must  be 
born  and  live  for  a  time,  at  least,  in  fresh  water;  hence  we  find  our  sea 
salmon  coming  into  the  rivers  and  spending  a  large  proportion  of  their 
time  in  fresh  water,  seeking  there  a  change  of  diet  and  hygienic  treatment 
against  parasites  and  fungus."  These  observations,  from  the  pen  of  a 
practical  angler-naturalist,  appear  reasonable  and  forcible. 

The  Atlantic  salmon — considered  the  best  game  fish  of  the  several 
closely  allied  species — is  described  as  follows  by  scientists,  as  to  appearance 
and  general  characteristics:  Body  moderately  elongate,  symmetrical,  not 
generally  compressed.  Head  rather  low.  Mouth  moderate,  the  maxillary 
reaching  just  past  the  eye.  Scales  rather  large,  largest  posteriorly,  and 
silvery  in  appearance.  Coloration  in  the  adult  brownish  above,  the  sides 
more  or  less  silvery,  with  numerous  black  spots  on  sides  of  head,  on  body, 
and  on  fins,  and  red  patches  along  the  sides  in  the  males;  young  specimens 
(parrs)  with  about  eleven  dusky  cross-bars,  besides  black  spots  and  red 
patches,  the  color,  as  well  as  form  of  the  head  and  body  varying  much 
with  age,  food  and  condition;  the  black  spots  in  the  adult  often  x  shaped, 
or  X  X  shaped.  Weight  fifteen  to  forty  pounds.  North  Atlantic,  ascending 
all  suitable  rivers  and  the  region  north  of  Cape  Cod;  sometimes  perma- 
nently land-locked  in  lakes,  where  its  habits  and  colorations  (but  no 
tangible  specific  characters)  changed  somewhat  when  it  becomes,  in 
America,  var.  Sebago. 

Salmon  fishing  is  beyond  doubt  royal  sport,  and  under  present 
conditions  it  cannot  be  enjoyed  to  the  full  extent  by  any  American  anglers 
except  those  having  royal  incomes,  as  the  Canadian  tour,  cost  of  fishing 
lease,  guide,  boatman,  etc.,  bring  the  expense  well  up  in  round  numbers, 
making  the  ordinary  "  silver  lure  "  burdensome,  good  gold  eagles  being 
preferable  foi"  the  line  of  rapid  transit.  In  the  early  portion  of  the  past 
century  the  Hudson  river  was  a  magnificent  salmon  stream,  but  the 
changes  wrought  by  time  and  the  tide  of  commerce  have  so  fettered  it  and 
polluted  the  natural  tide  that  it  now  leads  to  foi'tune  more  than  to  fishing. 
The  head  waters  of  the  Hudson  have  of  late  been  restocked,  and  a  number 
of  salmon  of  moderate  size  were  taken  last  season  below  an  impassable 
dam,  thus  proving  that  if  suitable  fish-ways  can  be  secured,  and  necessary 
restrictions  against  seining  put  into  effect,  the  river  will  again  furnish 
excellent  sport  for  salmon  fishers.  Much  credit  is  due  to  Mr.  A.  N. 
Cheney,  of  Glens  Falls,  N.  Y.,  for  organizing  a  strong  association  to 
promote  the  good   work  of  restoring  the   salmon  fishing  of  the  Hudson. 


"^-^^.V 


23 


If  properly  supported  success  will  be  assured,  and  the  movement  will  be 
of  incalculable  value  to  the  state  whether  considered  from  an  angling  or  a 
financial  standpoint. 

A  few  rivers  in  Maine  and  several  streams  along  the  Pacific  coast 
afford  fair  fly-fishing  for  salmon,  but  the  large  majority  of  American 
anglers,  seeking  for  sport  in  this  line,  visit  the  streams  tributary  to  the  St. 
Lawrence,  where  the  fishing  exploits  of  such  past  masters  of  the  craft  as 
Dr.  Bethune,  "  Frank  Forester,"  Robert  B.  Roosevelt,  Charles  Lanman, 
Charles  Hallock,  and  a  host  of  other  worthies,  have  drawn  public 
attention  to  the  exclusion,  almost,  of  minor  resorts.  Let  us  hope  the  day 
is  not  far  distant  when  our  own  rivers,  judiciously  restocked  and  protected, 
will  furnish  fishing  equally  good  for  the  recreation  of  our  anglers. 

It  would  be  folly  to  attempt  instruction,  even  as  to  the  first  principles 
of  practical  salmon  fishing,  in  a  few  pages  devoted  to  this  subject.  So 
far  as  primary  lessons  can  be  given  in  entertaining  and  instructive  form, 
the  reader  is  commended  to  a  careful  perusal  of  Chas.  Hallock's  admirable 
book,  "  The  Salmon  Fisher,"  and  Henry  P.  Wells'  "  American  Salmon 
Fisherman" — two  volumes  full  of  interest  and  instruction  for  students 
preparing  to  take  the  coveted  degree  of  master  of  arts  in  the  school  of 
angling. 

Mr.  George  Dawson,  in  his  captivating  work,  entitled  "  Pleasures  of 
Angling,"  gives  a  realistic  description  of  the  sensations  he  experienced  in 
catching  his  first  salmon.  After  securing  a  rise,  and  gazing  upon  the  fish, 
face  to  face;  beholding  the  cavernous  mouth  and  bulging  eyes  of  his  finny 
adversary,  just  rising  from  the  depths,  the  angler  experienced  the  feeling 
of  faintness,  followed  by  electric  thrills  usual  at  this  stage;  and  then, 
exerting  every  effort  to  regain  composure,  he  made  a  second  cast. 

The  story  is  best  told  in  his  own  words:     "I   had    marked   the   spot 
where  the  fish  had  risen,  had   gathered  up  my  line  for  another  cast,  hg^ct' 
dropped   the  fly,  like  a  snow-flake,  just  where  I  desired  it   to  rest^^i^lTen 
like  a  flash,    the     same    enormous  head    appeared,  the    §ame'  o 
revealed  themselves,  a  swirl  and  a  leap  and  a  strike  followed,  fiji 
salmon    was    hooked    with    a   thud!  which    told    me   as  plainly  'Jis 
operation  had  transpired  within  the  range  of  my  vision,  that  if  I  1 
it  would  be  my  own  fault.     When  thus  assured,  there  vi^as  excite 
no  flurry.     My  nerves  thrilled  and  every  muscle,  assumed  the*  te 
well-tempered  steel,  but  I  realized  the  full  sublimity  of  the  oceasiiCli 
a  sort  of    majestic  calmness  took  the  place  of  the  stupid -inaeuou 
followed  the  first  apparition.     My  untested  rod  bent  under  the 
a  graceful  curve;  my  reel  clicked  out  a  livelier  melody  than^v 
from    harp  or    hautboy,  as   the    astonished    fish    mad«!  Ihs  d 


34 


tensioned  line  emitted  yEolian  music  as  it  stretched  and  stiffened  under 
the  strain  to  which  it  was  subjected;  and  for  fifty  minutes  there  was  such 
giving  and  taking,  such  sulking  and  rushing,  such  leaping  and  tearing, 
such  hoping  and  fearing,  as  would  have  '  injected  life  into  the  ribs  of 
death,'  made  an  anchorite  dance  in  very  ecstasy,  and  caused  anv  true 
angler  to  believe  that  his  heart  was  a  kettle-drum,  evei'v  sinew  a  jew's- 
harp,  and  the  whole  frame-work  of  his  excited  nerves  a  full  band  of  music. 
And  during  all  this  time  my  canoe-man  rendered  efficient  service  in 
keeping  even  pace  with  the  eccentric  movements  of  the  struggling  fish. 
'Hold  him  head  np,  if  possible!'  was  the  counsel  given  me,  and  'make 
him  work  for  every  inch  of  line.'  Whether,  therefore,  he  took  fiftv  yards 
or  a  foot,  I  tried  to  make  him  pull  for  it,  and  then  to  regain  whatever  was 
taken  as  soon  as  possible.  The  result  was  an  incessant  clicking  of  the 
reel,  either  in  paying  out  or  in  taking  in,  with  an  occasional  flurrv  and 
leap  which  could  have  been  no  more  prevented  than  the  onrushing  of  a 
locomotive.  Any  attempt  to  have  suddenly  checked  him  by  making 
adequate  resistance  would  have  made  leader,  line  or  rod  a  wreck  in  an 
instant.  All  that  it  was  proper  or  safe  to  do  was  to  give  each  just  the 
amount  of  strain  and  pressure  it  could  bear  with  safety  —  not  an  ounce 
more  nor  an  ounce  less — and  I  believe  that  I  measured  the  pressure  so 
exactly  that  the  .^train  upon  my  rod  did  not  vary  half  an  ounce  from  the 
first  to  the  last  of  the  struggle.  Toward  the  close  of  the  fight,  when  it 
was  evident  that  the  'jig  was  up,'  and  I  felt  myself  master  of  the  situation, 
I  took  my  stand  upon  a  projecting  point  in  the  river,  where  the  water  was 
shallow,  and  where  the  most  favorable  opportunity  possible  was  afforded 
the  gaffer  to  give  the  struggling  fish  the  final  death  thrust,  and  so  end  the 
battle.  It  was  skillfully  done.  The  first  plunge  of  the  gaff  brought  him 
to  the  greensward,  and  there  lay  out  before  me,  in  all  his  silver  beauty  and 
magnificent  proportions,  my  first  salmon.  He  w^eighed  thirty  pounds, 
measured  nearly  four  feet  in  length,  was  killed  in  fifty  minutes.  It  is  said 
that  w^hen  the  good  old  Dr.  Bethune  landed  his  first  salmon,  '  he  caressed  it 
as  fondly  as  he  ever  caressed  his  first  born.'  I  could  onlv  stand  over  mine 
in  speechless  admiration  and  delight —  panting  wnth  fatigue,  trembling  in. 
verv  ecstasy." 

Summing  up  his  afterthoughts  on  this  occasion,  the  author  adds: 
"  The  victory  was  a  surfeit  for  the  morning.  With  other  fish  in  full  view, 
ready  to  give  me  a  repetition  of  the  grand  sport  I  had  already  experienced, 
I  made  no  other  cast,  and  retired  perfectly  contented.  The  beautiful  fish 
was  laid  down  lovingly  in  the  bottom  of  the  canoe  and  born  in  triumph  to 
the  camp,  where  fish  and  fisher  were  given  such  a  hearty  welcome  amid 
such  hilarious  enthusiasm  as  was  befitting  '  the  cause  and  the  occasion.'  '* 
A  thrilling  incident,  well  written. 


BROOK  TROUT. 

"  Here,  where  the  willowj  thickets  lave 
Their  drooping  tassels  beneath  the  wave, 
There  lies  a  deep  and  darkened  pool 
Whose  waters  are  crystal  clear  and  cool; 
It  is  fed  by  many  a  gurgling  fount 
That  trickles  from  upland  pasture  and  mount, 
And  where  the  tree-shadows  fall  dense  and  dim 
The  glittering  trout  securely  swim." 

Of  the  brook  trout  —  the  justly  prized  'salmon  of  the  fountain' — it 
may  truthfully  be  said  that  'tis  the  popular  favorite  among  most  lovers  of 
fly-tishing  in  the  United  States.  Like  the  garnet  the  speckled  trout 
sparkles  for  the  multitude,  while  that  gem  of  the  first  water,  the  salmon, 
gleams  in  its  silvery  lustre  for  the  favored  few.  The  brook  trout  is  more 
widely  distributed,  and  therefore  more  generally  known  than  any  other 
fresh  water  game  fish  of  the  first  order,  with  the  exception,  possibly,  of 
the  black  bass. 

The  natural  habitat  of  the  speckled  trout  is  the  section  of  country 
comprising  the  principal  Eastern,  New  England  and  extreme  Northern 
states,  along  the  Canadian  border,  and  westward  to  the  sources  of  the 
Mississippi  and  those  streams  tributary  to  Lake  Superior,  where  some 
of  the  largest  specimens  are  found,  ranking  in  size  and  game  qualities 
with  the  magnificent  trout  of  Maine  waters.  The  southern  range  extends 
to  the  foot-hills  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  the  headwaters  of  the  Chatta- 
hoochie,  in  Georgia,  with  a  moderate  number  in  the  North  C'"olina 
tributaries  of  the  Catawba.  Many  of  the  fish  caught  and  recorded  under 
the  name  of  brook  trout  in  certain  sections  of  the  United  States,  belong 
in  reality  to  other  species,  and  the  local  name,  trout,  is  therefore  a  mis- 
nomer, frequently. 


36 


odici  s^«es-of  game  fish  varies  so  greatly  in.  coloration  and 
the  conditions  of  water  and  food  acting  upon  the  sensitive  or- 
•  -'^^  Ul'Spk  troiit  with  effect  almost  equal  to  that  of  light  and 
stBS^Upon  thcTrhangeful  chameleon.  In  streams  flowing  over  gravelly 
boj^tti  and  sand}'  soil,  and^'thrmjgh  varied  meadow-land  and  forest;  or 
where  the  foot-hills  of  the  mountains  give  dash  and  sparkle  to  the  rivulets 
running  down  their  slopes,  the  colors  of  the  brook  trout  are  brightest  and 
the  form  of  the  fish  most  beautiful.  In  sluggish  waters,  dark  and 
somber,  shaded  by  heavy  woodlands,  the  trout  seem  to  belong  to  a  differ- 
ent variety,  hence  the  confusion  existing  in  local  names  and  nomenclature. 
An  interesting  and  instructive  exhibit  might  be  made  of  genuine  brook 
trout,  taken  from  twenty  widely  separated  localities,  entirely  unlike  in 
character,  and  affording  a  family  of  fish  apparently-  representing  a  score 
of  species. 

The  majority  of  anglers  are  familiar,  through  personal  experience  or 
published  description,  with  the  carmine-dotted  appearance  of  the  brook 
trout.  A  volume  would  scarcely  be  sufficient  to  reveal  the  variety  of 
colorings,  characteristics  and  modes  of  capture.  As  well  attempt  to  de- 
scribe the  shifting  scenes  of  a  kaleidoscope,  or  give  a  pen-picture  of  the 
varying  tints  and  texture  of  the  rainbow.  The  best  method  of  studying 
the  sprightly  salmon  of  the  fountain  is  not  through  merely  reading  the 
printed  line,  but  consists  rather  in  casting  the  silken  line  '  with  neatness 
and  despatch,'  directly  to  his  home.  If  the  invitation  is  delicately  sent 
and  properly  delivered  the  response  will  be  prompt,  and  after  overcom- 
ing the  natural  diffidence  and  reluctance  of  your  new  acquaintance,  you 
may  have  the  supreme  satisfaction  of  placing  him  at  your  right  hand  — 
the  position  of  honor — -at  your  dining  table. 

The  character  of  brook-trout  fishing  is  as  variable  and  fascinating  as 
the  coloration  and  habits  of  the  fish.  Fly-fishing  is  of  course  the  highest 
and  most  enjoyable  form  of  the  art,  though  bait-fishing  is  by  no  means  a 
tame  or  dull  recreation.  In  fishing  with  the  fly  there  is  perhaps  more  of 
the  picturesque,  the  artistic  and  scientific,  but  in  bait-fishing  a  greater 
amount  of  energy,  pitience  and  perseverance  may  often  be  required. 
One  well-known  authority,  Thomas  Tod  Stoddart,  even  declares  that 
"  worm-fishing  for  trout,  when  the  waters  are  clear  and  low,  the 
skies  bright  and  warm,  requires  essentially  more  address  and  experience, 
as  well  as  better  knowledge  ©f  the  habits  and  instincts  of  the  fish,  than 
fly-fishing."  Leaving  this  debatable  question  aside,  there  is  sufficient 
sport  in  either  style  of  fishing  to  satisfy  any  except  the  most  critical 
angler. 


27 


The  trout-fisher  at  his  best  is  one  of  the  happiest  of  mortals.  His 
lines  are  surely  cast  in  pleasant  places,  along  the  cold  spring  brooks, 
where  the  mingled  murmur  of  winds  and  woods  and  waters  makes  low 
music  to  his  ears,  the  changeful  scene  affords  a  succession  of  pleasing 
pictures  to  the  eye,  and  the  velvet  turf  is  like  a  carpet  to  the  feet.  Or  his 
steps  may  wander  near  the  foamy  cataract,  the  deep  river,  and  quiet  lake, 
for  the  haunts  of  trout  are  found  in  a  wide  diversity  of  places.  In  the 
vicinity  of  Ashland,  Wis.,  for  instance,  a  long  rocky  ledge  overhangs  the 
shore  of  Chequamegon  B^y,  a  short  distance  below  the  mouth  of  one  of 
the  favorite  trout  streams  of  that  locality,  and  some  of  the  largest  speci- 
mens have  been  caught  by  a  method  known  to  the  natives  as  "rock-fish- 
ing," which  consists  in  fly-fishing  from  a  boat  carefully  propelled  along 
near  shore,  giving  the  angler  opportunity'  to  cast  his  lure  beneath  the 
beetling  crags  where  the  lurking  trout  lie  in  wait. 

The  science  of  fly-casting — -and  it  is  certainly  a  scientific  attainment 
—  may  be  partially  mastered  by  tournament  methods  and  practice,  but 
the  critical  test  must  be  made  at  the  trout-stream,  where  it  will  be  found 
that  the  angler  has  ample  use  for  all  his  resources  of  accuracy  and  deli- 
cacy, though  he  may  usually  dispense  with  the  long  distance  cast  that 
wins  all  the  grand-stand  applause.  The  Chicago  Fly-Casting  Club  very 
properly  gave  precedence  to  points  of  delicate  and  accurate  work,  in 
summing  up  the  respective  merits  of  contestants  at  the  World's  Fair 
Tournaments,  thus  recognizing  the  most  essential  requirements  for  suc- 
cessful fly-fishing,  particularly  for  brook-trout. 

In  his  practical  treatise  entitled  "  Where  the  Trout  Hide,"  the 
author.  Kit  Clarke,  gives  many  excellent  suggestions  as  to  how,  when 
and  where  to  fish  with  the  fly,  and  the  book  therefore  furnishes  a  valu- 
able lesson  for  the  novice  in  trout-fishing.  To  the  V)Ook  and  the  brook 
the  amateur  may  safely  go  for  instruction. 


^3 


SMALL    MOUTH    BLACK    BASS. 

From  Photograph. 


Weight,  6}i  Lbs. 

Caught  by  W.  D.  Boyce, 

August,  1894. 


"  In  shallows  of  the  river-reach 

Where  rock  and  pebbles  chafe  the  tide, 

Where  o'er  white  gravel  and  the  sand 
The  rushing  waters  foam  and  glide, 

There  oft  the  angler  with  his  flj 
Takes  the  black  rovers  where  they  lie." 

The  above  lines  from  the  poet-sportsman,  Isaac  McLellan,  run 
smoothly  and  bring  to  the  mind  a  picture  of  black-bass  fishing  with  the 
artificial  fly.  This  bold  game-fish,  formerl}-  little  known  and  less  prized 
by  the  majority  of  anglers,  has  within  the  past  ten  years  been  accorded  its 
proper  place  in  the  first  rank,  by  reason  of  the  spirited  essays  and  graphic 
descriptive  sketches  in  the  sportsmen's  journals,  and  more  particularly  the 
excellent  "  Book  of  the  Black  Bass,"  from  the  pen  of  our  modern  apostle 
on  this  subject,  Dr.  James  A.  Henshall. 

Two  species  of  this  distinctively  American  game  fish,  the  large- 
mouthed  black  bass  and  the  small-mouthed  black  bass,  are  found  in  the 
lakes  and  streams  of  the  United  States.  The  distinguishing  features  of 
the  two,  as  described  by  the  author  previously  quoted,  may  be  easily 
observed,  as  "  the  angle  of  the  mouth  in  the  small-mouthed  bass  reaches 
onlv  to,  or  below,  the  eye ;  While  in  the  large-mouthed  bass  it  extends 
considerably  beyond,  or  behind  it."  He  also  adds  that  the  angler  who  will 
bear  in  mind  the  difference  thus :  small  mouth  and  small  scales  ;  large 
mouth  and  large  scales,  —  will  never  be  at  a  loss  to  identify  the  black  bass 
species. 


31 


3)^Xkj) 


1%, 


GmSt  confusion  exists,  however,  in   various   sections  of  the  country 

ifding\  the  black  bass.     In  the  south  both  species  are  generally  mis- 

icalled  y^  troti^^;"    in  portions  of  Kentucky  it  is  know^n  as  the  "jumping 

percl>J!^"in^IortlT  Carolina  it  appears  as  the  "trout-perch"  and  "white 

fon ;  "  in  Virginia  it  is  termed  the  "chub,"  and  in  the  Northern  States, 

tTfe  t^m  bass  is  usually  applied,  some  local  appellation  is  frequently 

le^'as  "  tiger  bass,"  "  buck  bass,"  yellow  or  green  bass,  river,  cove,  lake, 

)i^.  marsh  bass,  and  in  some  instances  Oswego  bass. 

t-^e  seen  that  the  local  names  for  the  black  bass  are  as  varied 
J^egraphical  range  of  the  two  species,  which  extends  to 
r- '^^^--^arly  every  state  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  In  weight  the  small- 
"^^^^^C  mouthed  bass  ordinarily  attains  to  about  five  pounds,  and  the  large-mouthed 
seven  pounds,  as  a  maximum,  though  occasionally  larger  specimens  have 
been  taken  of  each  kind,  especially  the  latter  species,  which,  in  sovithern 
waters,  sometimes  reaches  sixteen  pounds.  The  colors  of  the  black  bass 
vary  in  different  sections  and  even  those  caught  in  the  same  lake  or  stream 
show  considerable  variation,  but  the  prevailing  tinge  is  an  olive-green,  dark- 
est on  the  back,  lighter  on  the  sides,  and  nearly  white  on  the  belly. 

The  favorite  natural  food  of  the  bass  consists  of  crawfish  and  min- 
nows —  the  former  preferred  —  though  the  various  flies  are  seized  with 
avidity,  during  the  season  when  these  appear  over  the  surface  of  the 
waters.  Black  bass  fishing  on  the  inland  lakes  and  rivers,  whether  with 
the  natural  bait  or  the  artificial  fly,  is  a  most  exhilarating  pastime.  Stream 
fishing  is  preferable  for  most  anglers,  as  the  methods  employed  —  wading, 
•  or  casting  from  the  shore  —  give  greater  variety  of  scene  and  an  opportu- 
nity for  more  exciting  play,  than  lake  fishing  from  a  boat.  Reef-fishing, 
about  the  Bass  Islands  of  Lake  Erie,  which  forms  a  distinct  branch,  differ- 
ing in  most  respects  from  the  ordinary  bass-fishing,  is  enjoyed  by  many 
anglers  who  annually  visit  the  resort,  and  catch  large  fish  under  the  ledges, 
in  water  ten  to  twenty  feet  deep. 

In  fly-fishing  a  rod  ten  feet  and  three  inches  in  length,  and  of  seven 
and  one  half  ounces  weight  is  recommended  by  Dr.  Henshall.  The  rod 
should  be  stiffer  than  one  used  for  trout-fishing,  as  the  bass  are  usually- 
much  larger  than  the  brook  trout;  the  reel  a  single-action  click-reel;  and 
the  line  an  enameled,  braided  silk  fly-line,  with  a  carefull}'^  selected  leader, 
about  six  feet  long,  and  a  moderate  sized  fly  of  brown,  red,  black,  gray  or 
ginger  hackle. 

The  charm  of  this  branch  of  angling  is  graphically  described  b}'  Dr. 
Henshall,  who  remarks  that  in  stream-fishing  the  angler  "  has  the  birds 
and  flowers,  the  whispering  leaves,  the  laughing  water — old  and  genial 
friends  of  whom  he   never   tires,  whose   fellowship   is   never   wearisome, 


32 


whose  company  is  never  dull.  There  are  no  harsh  or  discordant  sounds 
on  the  stream — nothing  to  offend  the  eye  or  ear.  Even  the  kingfisher's 
rattle,  the  caw  of  the  crow,  the  tinkle  of  the  cow-hell,  the  bark  of  the 
squirrel  are  softened  and  subdued  and  harmonized  by  the  ripple  of  the 
stream  and  the  rustle  of  the  overhanging  trees.  All  is  joy  and  gladness, 
peace  and  contentment,  by  the  merry  shallows  and  quiet  pools  of  the  flow- 
ing, rushing  stream.  The  swish  of  the  rod,  the  hum  of  the  reel,  the  cut- 
ting of  the  line  through  the  water,  the  leap  of  the  bass,  seem  somehow  to 
blend  with  the  voices  of  the  stream  and  the  trees  on  its  banks,  and  to  speak 
to  the  angler  in  louder,  though  sweeter,  tones  than  on  open  waters ;  such 
sounds  seem  to  be  more  intensified  or  heightened  in  their  effect  by  some 
mysterious  acoustic  property  of  the  stream  and  its  surroundings.  And  the 
occasional  'pipe  of  peace'  in  some  shady  nook  or  sequestered  spot,  where, 
stretched  at  full  length,  the  angler  watches  the  nicotine  incense  assuming 
all  manner  of  weird  shapes  as  it  ascends  toward  the  tree-tops,  while  he 
indulges  in  fanciful  day-dreams,  with  the  cool  breeze  fanning  his  heated 
brow — the  soft  ferns  resting  his  tired  limbs!  Yea,  verily,  this  is  the  fish- 
ing beyond  compare." 


ffr^^ — V'  (f     :-^i^ 


MASCALONGE. 

From  Photograph. 


Weight,  28  Lbs. 

Caught  by  W.  D.  Boyce, 

August,  1894. 


"For  earliest  sport  try  the   waters  in   May, 
The  mascalonge  then   will  be  leaping  in  play; 
But  better,  by  far,  is  the  fishing  in  June, 
When  weirdly  re-echoes  the  cry  of  the  loon; 
Or,  if  you  prefer  the  sweet  by  and  by, 
Bring  the  rod  and  the  reel  in  sultry  July." 

Chief  among  the  members  of  the  pike  family  is  the  mascalonge — a 
giant  in  size  and  a  game  fish  of  high  order.  In  Canada  and  along  the 
border  line  in  the  United  States,  the  name  "maskinonge"  is  much  used, 
and  the  fish  in  the  other  sections  is  variously  known  as  "  muskallonge," 
"  niasquinongy,"  etc.  The  derivation  of  the  name  is  from  the  French 
masque  allonge  ("long  face"),  the  Chippewa  term,  "  maskinonge,"  having 
similar  meaning. 

In  size  the  mascalonge  takes  rank  with  the  salmon,  attainmg  a  weight 
of  from  forty  to  fifty  pounds,  and  Dr.  E.  Sterling  records  an  instance  of 
having  speared  one,  nearly  fifty  years  ago,  weighing  eighty  pounds  Fish 
of  this  species  weighing  twenty  pounds  are  quite  common,  and  specimens 
of  forty  pounds  weight  are  no  rarity  in  suitable  waters  where  fishing  has 
been  indulged  in  only  to  a  moderate  degree.  As  a  means  of  identifying 
the  mascalonge — which  closely  resembles  the  larger  pike  and  pickerel  in 
certain  respects— an  angling  authority  states  that  the  difference  may  be 
easily  detected  by  observing  the  gill  covers.  The  lower  half  of  cheek 
and  gill-cover  in  the  mascalonge  are  destitute  of  scales,  while  the  pike 
has  the  cheek  fully  covered  with  scales,  and  in  the  pickerel  it  will  be 
observed  that  both  cheek  and  gill  cover  are  grown  with  scales. 

The  range  of  this  species  is  quite  extensive,  from  the  St.  Lawrence 
in  the  East  to  the  upper  Mississippi  in  the  West,  and  southward  to  the 
Tennessee  River.  It  furnishes  good  sport  to  the  angler,  and  as  a  food 
fish  is  superior  to  other  members  of  the  pike  family.  Trolling  with  live 
minnow  or  artificial  bait  is  the  favorite  method  of  fishing  for  mascalonge, 
and  when  taken  with  a  bass-rod  the  play  is  exciting.  The  fish,  particu- 
larly in  Wisconsin  waters  and   in  the  St.  Lawrence,  leaps  above   the   sur- 


34 


face  in  the  attempt  to  get  free  from  the  hook,  and  although  much  inferior 
to  the  salmon,  whether  as  a  game  or  food  fish,  it  is  one  of  the  best  of 
inland  fishes.  A  live  minnow  or  frog  will  prove  a  good  lure  in  trolling  or 
casting  for  mascalonge. 

The  admirers  of  the  species  have  christened  this  fish  "  the  tarpon  of 
the  North,"  and  he  is  sometimes  called  the  "tiger  of  the  fresh  waters,"  but 
under  any  title  he  is  a  valiant  fighter,  a  bold,  fierce  biter,  and  worthy  of 
the  angler's  attention  in  the  lake  or  out  of  his  native  element,  on  the  ban- 
quet board.  Strong  tackle  and  cool,  skillful  play  are  essential  to  success 
in  capturing  the  large  specimens,  and  a  forty-pounder,  after  furnishing  a 
ro\'al  battle  for  a  half  hour  or  more,  will  grace  a  hall  or  club-room  excel- 
lently, if  well  mounted  by  a  taxidermist. 


THE    SEA   BASS. 

"  Wide  off  Long  Island's  yellow  beach, 
Where  fisher's  plummet  scarce  may  reach, 
Deep-sunken  in  the  depths  of  brine, 
Where  sea-weeds  all  the  rocks  entwine, 
Where  kelp  its  beaded  ribbon  flings, 
And  the  black  mussel  closel}'  clings, 
Atid  sea-dulse  their  long  tresses  flaunt, 
There  the  dark  sea-bass  makes  his  haunt." 

Fresh  from  the  water  the  sea-bass  is  considered  a  good  food  fish,  but 
its  flavor  soon  fails  and  becomes  insipid.  In  like  manner  the  resistance  of 
the  fish  against  capture  consists  in  one  weak  flurry,  when  it  yields  tamely 
and  comes  to  the  surface  like  a  dead  weight. 

In  coloration  the  sea-bass  is  beautiful,  being  dark  blue,  with  gills  of 
scarlet  tinge,  the  inside  of  mouth  bright  yellow,  and  the  abdomen  pale 
blue,  with  spots  of  various  shades  covering  the  body.  The  fins  are  large, 
and  the  body  strong,  though  rather  coarse  in  outline.  The  sea -bass  is  not 
abundant  in  northern  waters,  though  it  was  in  former  years  caught  in  large 
numbers  along  the  coast  of  New  York,  New  Jersej'  and  Massachusetts. 
In  weight  the  sea-bass  runs  from  one  pound  to  three  pounds.  It  inhabits 
the  deep  water,  is  a  bottom  feeder,  and  is  usually  caught,  in  northern  re- 
sorts, during  October  or  early  in  November.  The  flood-tide  is  the  best 
for  sea-bass  fishing,  and  sandworms  and  clams  are  favorite  baits. 


PIKE  AND  PICKEREL. 

"By  blue  lake  marge,  upon  whose  breast 
The  water-lilies  love  to  rest, 
Lurking  beneath  those  leaves  of  green 
The  fierce  pike  seeks  his  covert  screen, 
And  thence  with  sudden  plunge  and  leap, 
Swift  as  a  shaft  through  air  may  sweep. 
He  seizes,  rends,  and  bears  away 
To  hidden  lair  his  struggling  prey." 

Pickerel-fishing  is  a  sort  of  intermediate  branch  in  the  art  of  aiig-l'iu 
It  is. a  degree  higher  than  perch  or  rock-bass  fishing,  and  several  dcgreetp.^^ 
lower  than  trout  and  salmon  fishing,  in  the  estimation  of  skilled  de\^6t 
of  rod  and  line.      The  pike  and  pickerel,  however,  furnish  sport   foi"  me 
multitudes  of  fishermen  remote  from  the  streams  and  lakes  affording  black 
bass,  brook  trout  or  salmon -fishing. 

The  habitat  of  these  closely  allied  species  of  the  pike  family  c^iverji 
perhaps  a  wider  geographical  range  than  any  other  variety  of  fish  worthy 
of  classification  under  the  head  of  American  game  fishes.  They  arc  fmi 
in  most  of  the  inland  lakes  and  rivers,  of  the  Eastern  as  well  as  the  \\^es;t- 
ern  states,  and  nearly  every  man  or  boy  familiar  with  any  kind  of  fiie^h 
water  fishing  wall  recognize  one  or  both  of  the  species  readily,  although 
the  confusion  of  fish  lore  is  such  that  their  identity  is  often  as  badly  mixed 
as  that  of  the  two  Dromios.  To  make  "confusion  worse  confounded,"  the 
pike-perch  is  in  many  localities  popularly  supposed  to  be  the  true  pike,  and 
the  genuine  pike  passes  for  pickerel.  No  one  need  err  in  identifying 
either  of  two  last-named — i.  e.,  pike  and  pickerel — -if  the  simple  test 
named  in  the  article  on  the  mascalonge  be  borne  in  mind. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  pickerel  will  occasionally  rise  to 
the  fly — though  fly-fishing  for  this  species  would  be  a  very  uncertain  and 
unsatisfactory  sport.  It  is  only  an  incidental  by-play  when  fly-fishing  for 
black  bass,  and  under  such  circumstances  will  be  found  a  novelty,  interest- 
ing by  way  of  variety.  The  pike,  proper,  will  seldom,  if  ever,  rise  to  the 
fly,  but  is  a  bold  biter  and  will  take  the  minnow,  frog,  trolling  spoon,  or 
other  bait,  in  a  ravenous  manner,  and  furnish  exciting  play.  The  pike 
sometimes  attains  a  weight  of  eighteen  or  twenty  pounds,  and  in  a  few 
instances  fish  of  this  species  have  been  taken  weighing  twenty-five 
pounds. 

Professor  Jordan  describes  the  members  of  the  pickerel  family,  five  in 
number,  thus  :     "Common   Eastern  pickerel  (green   pike);    snout   much 


36 


prolonged,  front  of  eye  about  midway  in  head  ;  coloration  green  ;  sides 
with  net- work  of  brown  streaks ;  found  in  streams  of  Atlantic  States. — 
Hump-backed  pickerel,  elevated  back  and  broad,  swollen  ante-dorsal 
region;  colors  plain  (olive  green);  found  in  Western  States. —  Banded 
pickerel  or  trout  pickerel ;  snout  much  shorter  than  in  preceduig ;  eye 
nearer  snout ;  color,  dark  green  ;  sides,  twent}^  blackish  curved  bars  ;  rare- 
ly a  foot  long ;  home,  Atlantic  streams. — Little  pickerel,  or  Western  trout 
pickerel;  size  and  form  of  preceding;  more  slender;  color,  olivaceous 
green  above,  tinting  to  white  below;  sides,  curved  streaks  instead  of  bars; 
black  streak  in  front  of  eye  as  well  as  below ;  abundant  in  Western 
streams." 

WALL-EYED    PIKE. 

"  The  wall  eyed  pike  so  phanlom-like 
In  waters  clear  and  cold  ; 
Its  heavy  strike  like  driven  spike, 
Its  silvery  scales  and  gold." 

The  pike-perch,  more  commonly  known  as  the  wall-eyed  pike,  is 
common  in  the  Northern  and  Northwestern  states,  where  the  species  is  a 
popular  favorite  with  boy-anglers,  among  whom  the  fish  is  regarded  as  a 
prize.  The  usual  weight  is  from  two  to  five  pounds,  but  large  specimens 
are  sometimes  taken  weighing  nearly  thirty  pounds.  Although  it  is  not 
considered  a  game-fish,  of  any  special  merit,  the  pike-perch  is  a  food  fish 
of  better  flavor  and  finer  flesh  than  the  ordinary  pike  and  pickerel. 

In  still  or  sluggish  watei's  the  wall-eyed  pike,  when  hooked,  shows 
little  activity  and  is  not  regarded  with  favor  by  anglers,  but  in  swift 
streams  the  character  of  the  fish  is  entirely  different.  It  is  usually  taken 
either  by  still-fishing  or  trolling,  the  latter  method,  of  course,  giving  the 
best  sport.  The  fish  are  abundant  in  many  Western  lakes  and  streams, 
and  as  an  edible  fish  it  is  held  in  deservedly  high  estimation. 

The  form  of  the  pike-perch  is  compai  atively  slender  and  graceful, 
particularly  in  specimens  of  moderate  size,  and  the  general  resemblance  of 
the  various  species  of  the  perch  family  can  be  readily  traced  in  all,  from 
the  so-called  'wall-eyed  pike'  down  to  the  common  yellow  perch  familiar 
to  almost  every  youthful  angler.  The  local  name  of  "  wall-eye  "  is  sug- 
gestive of  the  large  staring  eyes — perhaps  the  most  noticeable  feature  of 
the  pike-perch.  On  the  sides  the  scales  are  usualh'  of  an  old  gold  tinge, 
fading  to  silvery  white  beneath,  furnishing  a  combination  to  satisfy  any 
bi-metallic  angler  in  this  respect,  whatever  his  opinion  may  be  as  to  the 
game  qualities  of  the  fish. 


THE    GRAYLING. 

"  I  wind  about,  and  in  and  out, 
With  here  a  blossom  sailing, 
And  here  and  there  a  lusty  trout, 
And  here  and  there  a  grayling." 

Among  all  the  species  of  the  finny  tribe  that  furnish  recreation  for 
the  angler,  no  other  perhaps  is  so  ethereal  and  dainty,  so  graceful  in  form, 
fin  and  outline,  or  so  delicate  in  tints,  as  the  grayling.  In  the  waters  of 
the  United  States  —  principally  in  the  streams  of  Michigan  —  the  rise  and 
fall  of  the  grayling  has  been  remarkable,  the  species  having  risen  rapidly 
in  public  estimation  with  a  proportionate  falling  off  in  supply  since  angling 
writers  first  described  and  eulogised  the  American  variety,  about  i860. 

The  scientific  name,  Thymallus^  applied  to  this  species  of  the  family 
SalmonidiE,  has  reference  to  the  odor  of  thyme,  so  marked  that  in  England 
the  grayling  is  called  "  the  flower  of  fishes."  The  Michigan  variety  sel- 
dom weighs  more  than  a  pound  and  a  half,  but  the  elegant  form,  the 
delicate  shades  of  silver  gray,  olive  brown  and  pale  blue,  and  above  all  the 
magnificent  dorsal  fin,  rising  to  the  height  of  two  inches,  extending  in  its 
curved  outline  about  one-fourth  the  length  of  the  fish,  and  dotted  like  a 
waving  banner  with  purple  spots  surrounded  with  greenish  tints  —  com- 
bine to  make  the  grayling  a  thing  of  beauty. 

The  great  dorsal  fin  is  the  chief  mark  of  loveliness,  and  the  general 
appearance  of  the  fish  is  thus  described  by  a  prominent  ichthyologist  : 
"  The  sun's  rays,  lighting  up  the  delicate  olive-brown  tints  of  the  back  and 
sides,  the  bluish-white  of  the  abdomen,  and  the  mingling  of  tints  of  rose, 
pale  blue  and  purplish-pink  on  the  fins,  display  a  combination  of  colors 
equalled  by  no  fish  outside  of  the  tropics." 

The  range  of  the  grayling  in  the  United  States  appears  to  be  limited 
to  Michigan  and  Montana,  while  the  Arctic  species  is  comparatively  abun- 
dant^in  the  polar  region.  In  Michigan  the  fish  have  diminished  at  an 
alarming  rate  during  the  past  fifteen  years,  so  much  so  that  fears  are  enter- 
tained that  it  may  be  exterminated  if  better  measures  are  not  adopted  for 
its  protection  and  propagation  —  the  latter  being  difficult  to  accomplish, 
as  the  best  fish  culturists  fail  in  this  branch  of  the  work. 

In  angling  for  this  dainty  fish  the  tackle  and  methods  are  almost  iden- 
tical with  those  used  in  trout  fishing,  and  the  grayling  in  many  instances  is 
found  in  the  same  streams  with  the  brook-trout.  The  American  book  of 
the  grayling  is  yet  to  be  published,  but  when  it  appears,  if  prepared  by  an 
enthusiastic  and  practical  angler,  the  work  will  prove  a  welcome  addition 
to  the  library  of  the  fly-fisher. 


LAND-LOCKED  SALMON,  ETC. 


"  With  foam  and  splash  tumultuous 

It  dashes  on  its  wav, 
Past  black,  basaltic  ledges, 

Past  boulders,  moss'd  and  gray  ; 
Now  dark  it  sleeps  in  shadow, 

Mid  overhanging  woods, 
And  now  reflects  the  heaven 

In  cool  transparent  floods." 

It  is  now  conceded,  beyond  question,  that  the  land-locked  salmon  in 
its  structure  and  natural  character  is  almost  identical  with  the  true 
salmon,  from  which  it  differs  but  little  except  in  size  and  the  habit  —  nat- 
ural or  acquired  —  of  remaining  in  freshwater  throughout  the  year  in- 
stead of  making  an  annual  pilgrimage  to  the  sea.  Many  of  the  lakes 
and  rivers  inhabited  by  land-locked  salmon  have  dire^F^and  easy  outlets 
to  the  sea,  but  the  fish  voluntarily  remain,  in  most  instance^  near  the 
place  of  their  birth.  n 

In  size  the  fish  range  from  two  to  seven  pounds,  though  occas^nally 
a  heavier  one  is  taken.  The  list  of  local  names  by  which  it  is  kii«pwn 
would  puzzle  a  novice.  In  Maine  it  inhabits  the  systems  of  the  Sebec,\St. 
Croix,  Presumpscot  and  Union  rivers— the  latter  a  tributary  of  tlje 
Penobscot — and  the  fish  is  known  in  that  region  as  the  Sebago  SalmoA, 
and  the  Schoodic  Salmon;  these  titles  indicating  the  lake  and  river  most, 
frequented  by  the  land-locked  salmon.  In  the  Lake  St.  John  and  Upper 
Saguenay  region  of  the  Province  of  Quebec,  the  popular  name  is  the 
\Vi|giieiishe,  W^ananishe,  or  Ouinaniche.  Mr.  Eugene  McCarthy,  a  prac- 
:  ffcal  authortty  on  the  subject,  accepts  and  adopts  the  latter  appellation  in 
tiis  boOl^  "  The  Leaping  Ouananiche."  The  species  is  also  found  in  the 
lakes  (Si  Labrador,  New  Brunswick,  Ontario  and  Nova  Scotia,  in  which 
latter^j^ province  the  fish  is  strangely  enough  called  the  "^ra^hr^g^^al-  ^ 
though  the  resemblance  is  almost  wholly  imaginary. 

Re'g?ir^fTtg  the'g'ariiie  qualities  of  the  ouananiche,  it  is  a  fish  equal  to 
its  kindred  the  --ea  salmon,  so  called,  due  allowance  being  made  for  the 
superior  size  of  the  latter.  Mr.  J.  G.  Aylwin  Creighton,  a  careful  ob- 
server, remarks  that  while  watching  a  fish  hooked  at  the  head  of  Isle 
Maligne,  round  which  the  fiercest  rapids  of  the  Grande  Decharge  sweep, 
^ll4iS^  profoundly  impressecl  with  the  remarkable  strength  and  pluck  of 
«the  ouananiche.  Standing  thirty  feet  above  the  water  the  angler  could 
see  the  fish  plainl}',  in  the  clear  stretches  between  the  white-crested  rollers, 
fighting  its  course  up  a  series  of  inclines  with  straight  steps  of  three  to 
foin-  feet.atL^^op  of  each^  ant]  then,  after  resting  a  moment  on  the  sum- 


mit  of  the  fall,  dash  off  like  a  flash  into  the  full  strength  of  the  down- 
current,  from  whence  the  fish  was  steered  into  a  little  cove,  and  there, 
fighting  until  strength  was  gone,  finally  lay  exhausted  on  the  surface. 

Other  varieties  of  the  salmon  family,  differing  mainly  in  size  and 
form,  with  the  same  general  characteristics,  do  not  require  special  de- 
scription here.  On  the  Pacific  coast  there  are  several  species  more  or 
less  prized  among  the  anglers  of  that  section. 

A  western  writer  classifies  the  salmon  of  the  Pacific  into  five  species, 
namely:  the  quinnat,  or  tyee  salmon;  the  kisutch,  or  blue-back  salmon; 
the  nerka,  or  sawqui  salmon;  the  keta,  or  cultus  salmon;  the  quillayute, 
or  oolahan  salmon.  The  first  two  species,  and  the  last-named,  afford 
good  sport,  their  respective  value  as  game  fish  being  indicated  by  the 
order  in  which  they  are  named.  Trolling  and  still  fishing  are  the 
principal  methods  of  capture.  The  quinnat  salmon  often  attains  a  weight 
of  one  hundred  pounds,  the  blue-back  salmon  twenty  pounds,  and  the 
quillayute  about  six  pounds. 

Of  the  smaller  species,  allied  to  the  common  brook  trout,  there  are 
three  that  may  be  referred  to  as  distinct  in  the  region  westward  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  These  species  are  the  California  brook  trout  or 
rainbow  trout;  the  Rocky  Mountain  or  Yellowstone  trout,  and  the  Rio 
Grande  trout.  The  habitat  of  each  is  indicated  by  its  name,  and  their 
general  character  is  very  similar  to  the  brook  trout,  the  principal  differ- 
ence being  in  coloration.  Many  local  names  are  given,  as  salmon  trout, 
lake  trout,  bull  trout,  sea  trout,  glacier  trout,  yellowstone  trout,  geyser 
trout,  cannibal  trout,  and  the  like,  each  having  reference  to  some  place  or 
pecuHaritv  distinguishin^^some  one  of  the  three  species. 


■^^HE  CHANNEL  BASS. 


"But  bright,  O  Florida,  the  waning  year 
Smiles  o'er  thy  waters  and  thy  cloud-lands  clear; 
The  fowler  comes  thy  swarming  flocks  to  thin. 
The  angler  comes  the  luring  spoon  to  spin, 
To  take  by  sandy  beach  or  marshy  grass 
The  tarpon,  grouper,  or  the  channel  bass." 

The  channel  bass  is  a  familiar  and  highly  prized  fish  in  the  waters  off 
the  southern  coast  of  the  United  States,  where  it  is  known  as  the  red 
drum  by  Virginia  anglers,  the  spotted  bass  by  South  Carolina  fishermen, 
and  the  red  bass  by  natives  of  Georgia  and  Florida. 


40 


By  nature  the  channel  bass  is  bold  and  omnivorous,  the  smaller  spec- 
imens running  in  schools  and  following  the  angler's  lure,  frequently,  to 
the  side  of  the  boat.  The  fish  vary  greatly  in  size,  running  from  one 
pound  to  fifty  pounds  weight.  Striped  bass  tackle  is  well  adapted  to 
channel  bass  fishing,  and  the  methods  are  similar. 

The  Halifax  River  and  Indian  River  Inlet  are  favorite  resorts,  and  the 
months  of  April  and  May  yield  excellent  sport  on  the  coast  of  Florida  for 
lovers  of  rod  and  reel.  The  fish  run  largest,  however,  in  midsummer, 
when  they  are  caught  in  quantities  by  hand-line  fishermen. 


THE    WEAKFISH. 

"  But  yet  a  cruel   fate  prepares 
For  them  its  fierce  destructive  snares  ; 
The  fishers  with  their  swarming  boats 
Spread  out  their  mesh  seines  and  their  floats  ; 
The  yacht  sweeps  round  them  with  the  sail 
Or  stoops  the  sea-hawk  in  the  gale, 
While  flashing  bait  and  trailing  line 
Drag  them   reluctant  from  the  brine." 

The  weakfish,  or  squeteague  as  the  Indians  call  him,  is  a  handsome 
game  fish,  symmetrical  in  outline  and  rich  in  colors,  its  scales  shining  with 
the  seven  cardinal  hues.  The  prevailing  tint  is  blue,  and  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  fish  is  thus  described  by  ichthyologists :  On  the  back  and 
sides  are  spots  arranged  in  transverse  order.  The  color  of  the  top  of  the 
head  is  greenish  blue;  inside  of  the  mouth  yellow;  gill  covers  lustrous 
silver  ;  on  lower  jaw  a  salmon  tint;  fins  of  different  coloration — dorsals 
brown  ;  pectorals  yellowish   brown;  ventral  and  anal  are  orange. 

The  southern  variety  of  weakfish  is  known  as  the  salt  water  trout,  and 
both  kinds  afford  excellent  sport  for  anglers.  The  summer  months,  July 
and  August,  are  best  in  the  North.  A  fine  linen  line  is  used,  with  a  light 
bamboo  rod,  a  large  reel,  a  good  leader,  with  light  swivel  sinker,  and  two 
hooks  of  large  bend,  baited  with  shedder  crab,  shrimp,  hard  clam,  or 
piece  of  menhaden,  to  complete  the  outfit.  The  weight  of  the  weakfish 
runs  from  two  poimds  to  sixteen  poiuids.  Favorite  fishing  grounds  on  the 
Northern  coast  are  at  Atlantic  City,  Newark  Bay,  Princess  Bay,  Long 
Island   Sound,  mouth   of  Delaware  River,  and  the  Narrows. 


41 


,::/.■: 


"  O  silver-sided  fish — the  king 

Of  all  that  swim  the  southern  se 
The  skillful  angler's  vaunted  art 

Too  oft  is  triumphed  o'er  by  thee, 
For  naught  avails  his  deadliest  hook, 

His  trolling  spoon,  his  braided  line, 
His  manly  strength,  his  Conroj'  rod. 

To  drag  thee  vanquish'd  from  the  brine." 

The  silver  king — as  the  tarpon  of  the  Florida  coast  is  often  termed — 
furnishes  beyond  doubt  more  exciting  sport  than  any  other  species  of  sea 
fish  taken  with  the  rod  and  reel.  As  the  largest  of  the  herring  family  the 
tarpon  is  often  called  the  king  herring,  and  the  prodigious  strength,  amaz- 
ing activity,  and  endless  endurance  of  this  armored  knight  errant  among 
game  fishes,  combine  to  make  him  a  most  coveted  prize  in  the  estimation 
of  adventurous  anglers  who  possess  the  skill  to  handle  the  long  line,  and 
the  financial  ability  to  carry  a  long  purse  well  filled. 

The  late  Col.  F.  S.  Pinckney  ("Ben  Bent"),  in  his  entertaining  and 
practical  volume  entitled  "The  Tarpon,  or  Silver  King,"  supplied  a  treatise 
giving  elaborate  instructions  for  catching  this  game  fish.  Other  popular 
angling  writers,  notably  J.  Mortimer  Murphy,  of  Sponge  Harbor,  Fla., 
and  Dr.  Charles  J.  Kenworthy  ("Al  Fresco"),  of  Jacksonville,  have  contrib- 
uted valuable  articles  on  tarpon  fishing  to  the  sportsmen's  journals  and 
standard  magazines,  so  that  the  pastime  is  familiar,  theoretically  at  least,  to 
the  majority  of  American  anglers. 

Along  the  coast  of  the  United  StateS  the  habitat  of  the  tarpon  is  from 
Texas  to  the  Georgia  line — the  favorite  haunts  being  in  Florida  waters, 
especially  St.  John's  River,  Tampa  B:iy,  Tarpon  Springs,  Punta  Rassa, 
Calooshatchie,  and  the  Homosassa  Rivers.  Among  the  Florida  Keys  the 
tarpon  may  be  found  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and  in  spring  and  summer 
the  fish  are  abundant  in  many  of  the  rivers  and  along  the  coast  of  Florida. 


42 


Tlie  tackle  for  tarpon  fishing  must  be  remarkably  strong,  and  during 
the  past  ten  years  (marking  the  period  of  time  since  the  species  first  came 
into  prominence  in  the  category  of  game  fishes) — tarpon  rods,  reels,  lines, 
etc.,  have  been  invented  by  American  manufacturers  to  meet  the  rapidly 
increasing  demand.  Tarpon  fishing  in  Florida,  like  salntion  fishing  in 
Canada,  now  attracts  a  host  of  distinguished  devotees  eager  for  records 
and  recreation.  Dr.  Kenworthy,  describmg  the  sport  in  his  graphic  style, 
says:  "We  frequent!}'  read  of  the  excitement  attending  the  capture  of  a 
bronze  backer  or  a  speckled  trout,  but  those  who  give  their  experiences 
should  hitch  on  to  a  tarpon,  and  thev  would  discover  'music  in  the  air' 
worth  recording ;  for  the  capture  of  a  silver  king  is  a  bright  spot  in  a  fish- 
erman's existence,  and  a  fact  worth  referring  to  at  a  camp  fire." 

A  strong,  pliable  split  bamboo  rod,  seven  to  eight  feet  in  length,  and 
of  one  joint;  a  Cutty  hunk  linen  line  of  fifteen  to  twenty-one  threads  in  size, 
and  a  multiplying  reel  of  the  best  quality,  capable  of  holding  at  least  six 
hundred  feet  of  strong  line,  are  of  first  importance  in  the  way  of  tackle.  To 
complete  the  outfit  a  good  supply  of  strong  Limerick  or  O'Shaughnessy 
hooks,  snoods  of  piano  wire  or  treble  braids  of  strong  cotton  line;  a  ser- 
viceable gaff,  and  other  appliances  of  minor  importance  will  be  required. 

For  bait  the  mullet  is  generally  taken — sometimes  whole,  and  some- 
times only  a  portion  of  the  fish  being  used.  The  bait  is  allowed  to  sink  to 
the  bottom,  in  water  perhaps  eight  feet  in  depth,  and  the  \boatman  and 
angler  anchored  some  twenty-five  yards  away  are  constantly  on  the  qui 
vive  to  begin  the  battle  as  soon  as  the  silver  king  leaps  froinX  the  water, 
which  he  will  almost  invariably  do  upon  feeling  the  prick  of  t^e  hook  in 
his  gullet.  During  the  first  wild  flurry  the  angler  can  o£fer\but  little 
resistance,  as  the  series  of  turns  and  furious  leaps  endanger  the  tackle 
most  at  the  beginning,  but  when  the  'vaulting  ambition'  of  the  tarpon  has 
'o'erleaped  itself,'  and  the  struggle  is  carried  on  under  instead  of  above  the 
water,  the  angler  can  put  his  rod  and  line  to  the  test  in  order  to  tire  and 
eventually  bring  his  adversary  in  reach  of  the  gaff.  No  finer  finny  tnophy 
ever  graced  a  table — or  adorned  a  tale — than  a  well-mounted  silver  ^ing, 
gorgeous  in  his  own  shining  armor,  and  lying 

"  Like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest," 
Bravest  and  boldest,  brightest  and  best. 


"  It  is  a  brave,  a  royal  sport, 

Trolling  for  bluefish  o'er  the  seas; 
Fair  skies  and  soaring  gulls  above, 

A  steady  blowing  breeze; 
A  shapely  yacht  whose  foaming  prow 

The  bellowy  plain  divides, 
That  like  a  gallant  courser  speeds 

Far,  free  o'er  ocean  tides." 

The  bluefish  has  been  called  the  Spanish  buccaneer  among  game 
fishes  of  the  sea,  by  reason  of  its  piratical  habits,  its  wanton  manner  of 
pursuing  its  prey  —  killing  smaller  fish,  principally  menhaden  or  moss- 
bunkers,  in  vast  numbers,  and  eating  but  a  small  portion  of  those  that 
are  slaughtered.  The  ocean  pirate,  variously  known  as  the  skipjack, 
horse  mackerel,  snapping  mackerel,  etc.,  is  a  valiant  game  fish,  deservedly 
prized  whether  on  the  line  or  on  the  banquet  board,  and  all  along  the 
Atlantic  coast  from  Florida  to  Maine  the  coming  of  the  bluefish  is 
eagerly  awaited  by  anglers  and  widely  heralded  by  the  press  each  season. 

In  appearance  the  bluefish  is  strong  and  symmetrical,  with  graceful 
curved  lines  indicating  agility  and  speed.  The  color  is  steel  blue  above 
and  white  or  greenish  white  underneath,  while  the  mouth  is  large  and  the 
edges  well  filled  with  very  sharp  teeth,  enabling  the  fish  to  seize  and 
sever  the  mossbunkers  with  great  ease.  In  size  the  bluefish  varies 
greatly,  according  to  season  and  locality,  the  ordinary  range  being  from 
fourteen  to  thirty-two  inches  in  length,  and  from  one  pound  to  fifteen 
pounds  in  weight,  though  an  instance  is  recorded  of  the  capture  of  a 
specimen  weighing  twenty-five  pounds.  This  fish  was  caught  in  1874, 
with  rod  and  reel,  at  Cohasset  Narrows,  by  Mr.  L.  Hathaway. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  noted  by  naturalists,  in  various  works  on  ichthy- 
ology, that  the  appearance  of  the  bluefish  along  the  Atlantic  coast  of  the 
United  States  northward  of  Carolinas  has  been   irregular.     In  -southern 


44 


waters  the  species  has  perhaps  been  amoncr  the  oldest  finny  inhabitants, 
but  the  northern  migration,  beginning  in  early  spring,  has  never  been 
regular  until  within  the  past  sixty  years.  At  present  the  bluefish  ranks 
next  to  the  striped  bass  in  game  qualities,  among  the  sea  fishes  found  in 
the  vicinity  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  and  in  the  commercia 
fisheries,  it  is  exceeded  in  value  only  by  the  codfish  and  mackerel. 

The  most  popular  method  of  fishing  for  bluefish  is  squidding  or  troll- 
ing. This  consists  in  trailing  a  spoon  or  squid  of  ivory,  bone  or  metal,  at 
the  ehd  of  a  line  some  three  hundred  feet  long,  the  motive  power  being 
a  fast  sailing  sloop  or  cat-boat,  handled  by  a  capable  seaman.  A  heavy 
sinker  should  be  attached  to  the  line,  and  some  fishermen  use  a  trolley 
sinker  with  a  large  hook  set  in  the  end.  The  schools  of  bluefish  can 
usually  be  located  by  the  large  number  of  menhaden  jumping  from  the 
•  water  in  their  efforts  to  escape  from  the  pursuers,  and  the  soaring  gulls, 
frequently  hovering  close  to  the  surface  to  pick  up  the  mangled  remains 
of  victims  killed  but  not  eaten  by  the  ocean  pirates,  will  also  point  the  wa}' 
for  the  angler. 

A  rising  tide  is  considered  the  best  stage  of  water  for  bluefishing,  but 
either  extreme  of  the  ebb  and  flood  tide  ma}'  lead  on  to  fishing  of  good 
quality.  Chumming  is  a  method  of  fishing  also  adopted  by  many  sea 
fishers,  the  style  being  similar  to  that  emplo\^e<l  in  surf  fishing  for  striped 
bass.  It  is  said  that  the  bluefish  will  frequently  take  the  fly — and  keep  it! 
If  you  "have  any  to  bestow,  he  prefers  the  large  ones,  of  bright  and 
assorted  colors,"  thus  proving  his  gay  and  festive  nature  as  a  blue  blooded 
buccaneer  of  the  high  seas.  The  bluefish  strikes  fiercely,  and  from  the 
instant  he  is  hooked  until  he  is  brought  to  boat  the  "  fun  is  fast  and  furi- 
ous." He  fights  till  the  last  gasp,  sometimes  breaking  the  surface,  then 
rushing  deep  into  the  ocean  caves,  and  varying  his  defensive  tactics  by 
darting  from  side  to  side,  and  occasionally  coming  forward  at  full  speed, 
overrunning  the  hooks.  Taken  all  in  all  (if  he  is  taken  at  all)  the  bluefish 
is  a  game  fish  of  high  rank,  and  a  food  fish  of  excellent  quality.      ^_^    ^^^_  ^- 


-.,— ^=5!35^^5^i^^Sia®l»^»B!BK»«f- 


-  -.  ^  -  .  ^ 


te^:&iD  BASS. 


ilf-^Wileie  icy  currents  sweep  the  banks 
h— the  shores  of  Labrador, 
nny   myriads  swarm  the  seas, 
feed  by   every    shore; 
noblest,  bravest  of  the  race, 
striped  bass  holds   foremost  place." 

fishing  have  very  appropriately  termed  the  striped  bass 

saijiion  of  the  surf."     In  size,  game  qualities  and  as  a  food  fish,  the 

stri|)ed  bass  or  rock-fish  of  the  Atlantic  coast  deservedly  ranks  with  salmo, 

the  leaper.     Sea  fishermen,  enthusiastic  over  the  wild  sport  enjoyed  amid 

^^^e  ocean  spray,  declare  striped  bass  fishing  the  grandest  and  best  recrea- 

^-^■^-^Op'  in  the  whole  realm  of  angling. 

'-'^  In  appearance,   this  salt   water   representative   of   the  bass  family  is 

•  •''  ^symmetrical  and  handsome.  He  is  described  as  "cylindrical,  tapering; 
"'  the  upper  part  of  the  body  of  a  silvery-brown  color,  the  lower  part  of  the 
sides  and  abdomen  of  a  beautiful  clear  silver  color;  eight  or  more  longi- 
tudinal black  bands  on  each  side,  commencing  just  back  of  the  opercula, 
the  upper  bands  running  the  whole  length  of  the  fish,  the  lower  ones  ter- 
minating just  above  the  anal  fin,"  In  size,  the  striped  bass  ranges  from 
one  pound  to  one  hundred  pounds,  and  an  old  angler  declares  that  the 
"  delightful  uncertainty  "  in  this  respect  is  one  of  the  great  charms  in  this 
branch  of  fishing,  giving  ample  scope  for  all  the  pleasures  of  hope  and 
anticipation. 

The  geographical  range  of  the  fish  is  quite  extensive  along  the 
Atlantic  coast,  but  the  majority  of  striped  bass  taken  with  hook  and  line, 
are  caught  between  Cape  Cod  and  Chesapeake  Bay.  In  no  other  kind 
of  fishing  is  there  such  keen  rivalry  among  anglers  for  the  distinction  of 
catching  the  largest  specimen  of  the  season — the  honor  of  "high-line"  or 
"  high-hook,"  as  it  is  usually  termed,  referring  to  the  greatest  fish  or  the 
highest  number  taken.  Records  are  carefully  kept  by  the  principal  fishing 
clubs  along  the  Atlantic  sea-board,  notably,  the  Cuttyhunk,  Squibnocke, 
Pasque  and  West  Island — showing  the  weight  and  number  of  striped  bass 
caught  by  the  various  members  from  year  to  year.  These  records  are 
properly  verified,  and  thus  placed  outside  the  category  of  "  fish  stories." 
Around  Manhattan  Island,  in  the  East  River,  Harlem  River,  the 
Hudson  and  New  York  Bay,  are  several  of  the  celebrated  resorts  for 
striped  bass  fishing.  Hell  Gate,  a  turbulent,  foaming  channel  where  the 
Harlem  joins  the  East  River,  is  probably  the  most  noted  locality  for  the 
sport  in  the  United  States.     Several  of  the  prominent  angling  authorities 


46 


of  America — viz.:  "Frank  Forester,"  Genio  C.  Scott,  Hon.  Robert  B. 
Roosevelt  and  Francis  Endicott— derived  their  practical  knowledge  of  bass 
casting  from  fishing  bouts  among  the  swirling  eddies  of  Hell  Gate.  Large 
fish  were  frequently  taken  there,  twenty-five  to  thirty  years  ago,  but  the 
average  catches  now  are  much  smaller  in  numbers  and  in  size,  as  the  fishers 
have  increased  ten- fold  and  the  fish  have  decreased  in  these  waters  in 
almost  like  ratio. 

The  term  "  rock-fish  "  is  often  applied  to  the  bass,  by  reason  of  the 
pertinacity  w^ith  which  this  game  fish  clings  to  rocky  channels  and  reefs, 
where  the  waters  are  churned  into  spray  and  foam  by  changing  winds  and 
tide.  The  smaller  bass  run  together  in  considerable  numbers,  and  are 
therefore  known  as  school  bass,  w^hile  the  larger  specimens  are  more  "  sub- 
lime and  solitary  "  in  their  movements. 

Of  the  various  methods  of  bass-fishing,  the  prime  favorite  among 
skilled  anglers  is  surf-fishing,  or  chumming  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
although  the  "  chumming"  is  really  the  work  performed  by  an  assistant, 
in  scattering  pieces  of  menhaden  broadcast  over  the  waters  to  be  fished. 
One  of  the  first  requisites  to  success,  on  the  part  of  the  angler,  is  the  abil- 
ity to  make  a  long  and  accurate  cast  in  any  direction  desired.  A  bona  fide 
cast  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  and  one-tenth  feet  was  made  by  Mr.  W.  H. 
Wood,  at  the  tournament  of  the  National  Rod  and  Reel  Association,  at 
Central  Park  Lake ;  the  tackle  being  such  as  is  commonly  used  in  bass 
casting,  substituting  a  two  and  one-half  ounce  sinker  (the  average  weight 
of  a  lobster  tail  or  menhaden  bait),  in  place  of  the  ordinary  lure.  A  cast 
of  less  than  one  hundred  feet  is  seldom  successful  in  surf  fishing  for  striped 
bass,  and  long  casting  will  always  win,  other  chances  being  equal.  The 
angler  uses  a  strong  pliant  rod,  nine  or  ten  feet  long,  with  a  large  triple 
multiplying  reel  holding  about  four  hvuidred   feet  of  line,  best  linen  make. 

The  bass  fisher  usually  takes  his  stand  on  a  small  platform,  a  short 
distance  from  shore,  enabling  him  better  to  reach  the  haunt  of  the  striped 
bass  at  flood  tide.  Poising  his  rod,  and  throwing  it  back  with  perhaps 
three  feet  of  line  for  play,  the  angler  makes  a  slow  but  firm  movement 
forward  of  the  tip,  the  line  spins  out  rapidly  in  a  graceful  curA'c,  and  the 
bait  falls  easily  some  two  hundred  feet  away.  When  hooked,  the  striped 
bass  is  game  to  the  last,  and  the  acrobatic  feats  he  performs,  leaping,  div- 
ing, darting  here  and  there  among  jagged  rocks,  struggling  for  liberty  like 
a  runaway  race  horse  with  the  bits  between  his  teeth,  give  the  excited 
angler  no  rest  till  the  fight  is  won — or  lost. 

Trolling  for  bass  is  another  popular  style,  sometimes  with  the  rod,  and 
occasionally  with  the  line  and  bait  trailed  behind  the  boat.  The  veteran 
Louis  O.  Van   Doren   says    of   a  peculiar  method  of   fishing  witnessed  by 


himself  :  "Often  we  see  a  solitary  boatman  leisurely  rowing  and  holding  a 
long  and  heav}^  line  in  his  teeth  (a  sure  sign,  I  take  it,  that  they  are  his 
own).  How  any  one's  jaws  can  stand  such  a  strain,  I  do  not  know;  no 
doubt  though,  enthusiasm  gives  them  three-fold  strength.  I  have  seen 
such  a  lone  fisherman  rowing  along  with  the  stillness  and  imperturbable 
gravity  of  a  sphinx,  suddenly  drop  his  oars,  take  the  wet  line  from  between 
his  teeth  and  after  a  struggle,  bring  to  his  basket  a  three  or  four-pound 
striped  bass.  Imagine  what  a  tooth-pulling  strike  such  a  fish  must  have 
made." 

Fly-fishing,  too,  may  be  successfully  practiced  for  a  limited  season 
and  under  favorable  conditions  of  wind  and  water ;  but  trolling  and  surf- 
casting  are  tl)e;rnethods  employed  by  most  anglers  in  striped  bass  fishing. 
Either  styl^  should,  in  the  proper  season,  afford  sport  exciting  enough  to 
satisfv/tne  most  ambitious  fisher. 

(ji  the  localities  for  striped  bass  fishing,  brief  mention  has  been  made. 
Qiitside  of  the  imm^iate  vicinity  of  New  York  City,  some  of  the  noted 
places  are  Martk^  Vineyard,  Block  Island,  Montauk  Point,  the  Elizabeth 
Islands  (iiidiiding  celebrated  Cutty  hunk)  and  the  rocky  shores  of  Massa- 
chus^t^,  Connecticut  and  New  Jersey.  Along  the  coast  in  the  sections 
indicated,  lovers  of  sea-fishing  are  in  ecstacies  when  the  run  of  the  salmon 
^'  of  the  surf  is  at  its  height,  usually  in  August  and  September. 

"~  THE    MANGROVE    SNAPPER. 

ng  be  the  tackle,  for  the  saw-like  teeth 
cut  yoiuL^ij^-\vp«ii  gut  like  razor  edge, 
fd  The  mangrove  to  beguile 
rom  submerged  roots,  else  hook  and  fish  are  lost, 
For  swift  it  rushes  for  its  secret  hole, 
And  fights  and  struggles  hard  while  life  remains." 


This  species  of  fish,  a  native  of  southern  waters,  derives  its  name 
from  the  habit  of  hiding  under  the  submerged  roots  of  the  mangrove, 
where  it  lies  in  wait  for  its  prey,  usually  the  small  mullet.  It  is  not  a  fish 
of  active  habits,  but  is  very  shy,  and  the  usual  method  of  fishing  for  this 
species  is  to  make  long  casts  from  the  boat,  allownig  the  bait  to  drop  and 
sink  near  the  holes  which  it  frequents. 

The  mangrove  snapper  bears  quite  a  striking  resemblance  to  the 
small-mouthed  black  bass,  and  like  its  fresh  water  cousin  is  an  excellent 
game  fish.  The  ordinary  size  is  from  one-half  pound  to  five  pounds,  but 
under  favorable  conditions  it  grows  considerable  larger,  up  to  perhaps  ten 
pounds.  It  feeds  freely  at  night,  and  in  cloudy  weather,  and  ^furnishes 
good  sport  for  the  angler  if  he  can  keep  it  away  from  the  roots,  its  natural 
shelter,  for  which  a  rush  is  made  as  soon  as  the  hook  is  felt. 


48 


THE  BONITO. 

"  In  all  the  warmer  waters  of   the  world, 
The   skip-jack   swarming  shoals  are  seen, 
Where    the   Sardinian  Island    rest, 
In  Mediterranean  tides  serene. 
And  where  the  tumbling  billows  pour, 
Along  America's  southern  shore; 
While  dense  by  rocky  northern  coast 
Wanders  the  countless  host." 

From  his  general  resemblance  to  the  mackerel  family,  th« 
skip-jack,   is  often   palmed  off  upon  unwary  purchasers    as 
Spanish  mackerel,  although  the  latter  is  far  superior  as  a  game  i^sh  tuid,-%s 
a  table  delicacy.     The  bonito  is  coarser  in  every  respect — in  form,  fiii^ai^^ 
flavor,  and  the  angler  easily  detects  the  difference  in  species.         "      ^^^^ 

Although  heavier  in  proportion  to  its  size  than  the  Spanish  mackerel, 

the  bonito  is  still  a  symmetrical   fish,  swift   in  its  movements,  and   a  bold 

biter.     In  color  it  is  of  a  dark  lead  tint  on  the  head  and  sides,  while  under- 

neath  it  is  an  ashen  gray.     The  fins  are  dark-blue,  except  the  ventral  fins, 

'which  are  white."     Six  or  eight  stripes,  parallel,  run  along  the  sides  of  the 

fish.  .  .  : 

The  bonito  usually  reaches  the  northern  shores  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember, at  the  same  time  and  frequently  in  company  with  the  bluefish. 
Anglers  often  take  the  bonito  while  fishing  for  bluefish,  as  it  will  snap  at 
the  same  bait,  and  in  fact  makes  almost  as  desperate  resistance  when  on 
the  line. 

Trolling  is  the  principal,  almost  the  only  method  of  angling  for  the 
skip-jack,  and  when  time  and  tide,  wind  and  weather,  are  favorable,  the 
sport  is  sufiiciently  exciting.  During  the  two  summer  months  mentioned, 
the  bonito  is  quite  abundant  as  far  north  as  Cape  Cod,  and  in  no  waters  of 
similar  latitude  is  it  more  plentiful  in  season  than  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 


THE    BLACKFISH. 

"  Wherever  by  extended  shore 
The  rough  rocks  sow  the  salty  deep, 
Wherever  kelp  and  seaweed  cling 
And  crab  and  starfish  crawl  and  creep, 
The  blafckfish  find  a  lurking  place, 
Deep  in  the  waters  at  their  base." 

.Although  not  highly  prized  as  a  game  fish,  by  scientific  anglers,  the 
blackfish  or  tautog  is  an  important  member  of  the  finny  tribe,  an  excellent 
food  fish,  and  a  ready  biter  to  reward  the  efforts  of  juvenile  fishers  along 
the  wharves. 


49 


The  blackfish,  as  indicated  by  the  name,  has  a  black  tinge,  especially 
along  the  back,  fading  to  gray  on  the  sides ;  the  head  is  large,  the  back 
arched,  giving  the  fish  a  clumsy  appearance,  but  he  resists  capture  in  a 
vigorous  manner,  and  the  larger  specimens,  ten  to  twelve  pounds  in 
weight,  are  considered  prizes  even  by  expert  anglers. 

As  the  tautog  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  sea  fishes  to  visit  Northern 
waters,  arriving  in  April  and  remaining  until  late  in  October,  it  is  a 
familiar  favorite  with  the  boys  and  with  anglers  of  larger  growth  who  do 
not  hold  tenaciously  to  the  creed  that  no  fish  are  worth  angling  for  except 
those  that  will  rise  to  surface  lures.  The  blackfish  feeds  along  the  bottom, 
in  swift,  rocky  tideways,  and  narrow  channels — the  Harlem  Kills  and  little 
Hell  Gate  being  famous  resorts  for  New  Yorkers  fond  of  tautog  fishing, 
though  in  recent  years  the  species  is  not  found  in  large  numbers  near  the 
metropolis. 

The  best  bait  for  this  kind  of  fishing  are  sandworms,  clams  or  fiddler 
crabs;  the  hook  should  be  of  heavy  wire,  and  rest  within  perhaps  a  foot 
of  the  bottom.  With  such  appliances — similar  to  the  tackle  used  for  weak- 
fishing — good  numbers  of  blackfish  may  be  taken  at  Montauk  Point,  at 
Barnegat,  off  Long  Branch  or  Rockaw^ay. 


THE    KINGFISH. 

"Off  where  the  slender  light-house  lifts, 

Like  sheeted  ghost,  above  the  surge, 
Casting  its  warning  flames  at  night 

Far  to  the  dim  horizon's  verge, 
Round  sunken  reef  and  hidden  rock 

Where  shells  and  sands  inlay  the  floor 
Of  ocean,  there  the  kingfish  glide 

And  the  sea's  secret  worlds  explore." 

In  Southern  waters,  where  the  kingfish  is  abundant,  it  is  known  as  the 
whiting,  and  in  other  localities  it  is  termed  the  barb,  but  under  whatever 
name  it  may  be  designated  it  is  a  dainty  morsel  for  the  epicure  and  a  gal- 
lant fish  for  the  angler.  Fifty  years  ago,  when  William  T.  Porter,  "  Frank 
Forester,"  Dr.  Bethune,  Genio  C.  Scott,  and  William  C.  Prime  formed  a 
famous  angling  coterie  in  the  Atlantic  metropolis,  the  kingfish  was  found 
in  abundance  in  the  vicinity  of  New  York  City.  Now  it  is  comparatively 
scarce  in  that  locality,  but  in  South  Bay  and  off  the  New  Jersey  coast  it  is 
found  in  fair  numbers  during  the  summer  season. 

For  its  size,  as  compared  to  other  species,  the  kingfish  is  one  of  the 
gamest  inhabitants  of  the  sea.  It  is  long  and  tapering,  and  is  distin- 
guished  for  the  size  of  the  first  dorsal   fin,  which   is   high,  and   adorned 


with  a  long  ray.  In  colors  the  kingfish  is  beautiJrW',  varying  from  a 
silvery  red  on  the  back  to  blueish  white  on  the  abdomen,  and  the  fins  are 
brown,  olive  and  yellow. 

In  angling  for  kingfish  the  tackle  is  very  similar  to  that  used  for 
weakfish,  and  the  favorite  baits  are  sandworms  or  shedder  crabs.  Al- 
though not  a  large  fish  —  the  range  in  size  being  from  one  to  five  pounds 
—  the  kingfish  is  gamy  in  nature,  taking  the  bait  boldly,  and,  when 
hooked,  struggling  bravely  until  brought  to  boat.  The  incoming  tide  is 
best  for  the  sport,  and  off  the  Southern  coast  the  localities  for  fishing  are 
numerous.  In  the  North  the  best  known  points  for  this  branch  of  ang- 
ling are  Long  Branch,  Barnegat  Inlet,  Atlantic  City  and  the  south  shore 
of  Long  Island. 

SPANISH    MACKEREL. 

"  Loveliest  of  all  the  tribes  that  swim 

The  ocean's  salty  tides, 
The   Spanish  mackerel  sweeps  the  seas, 

And  like  a  meteor  glides; 
It  speeds  far  off  the  harbor  bar, 

Where  tides  are  cool  and  deep. 
Shunning  the  shoals  that  skirt  the  shore, 

Where  the  swift  bluefish  leap." 

In  delicacy  and  beauty  of  color  and  outline  the  Spanish  mackerel 
might  be  found  w^orthy  the  title  of  the  ocean  grayling — lacking  that  dis- 
tinctive mark,  the  banner-like  dorsal  fin.  The  fish  is  very  symmetrical  in 
form,  and  the  tail  or  caudal  fin  is  deeply  forked,  giving  an  appearance  of 
swiftness  which  is  in  keeping  with  its  movements.  It  is  not  often  taken 
by  anglers  off  the  coast  of  the  Eastern  or  New  England  states,  as  the 
fish  is  found  usually  in  deep  waters,  farther  from  shore  than  the  bluefish 
or  striped  bass,  and  is  therefore  more  difficult  to  locate  or  pursue.  Farther 
south  the  fish  is  more  frequently  caught,  the  tackle  and  stj'le  being  similar 
to  those  used  in  fishing  for  bluefish. 

Mr.  Van  Doren,  a  veteran  salt  water  angler,  says  of  mackerel  fishing: 
*'  Though  sometimes  caught  by  fishermen  while  bluefishing,  yet  when  a 
trip  is  made  especially  for  mackerel  it  is  best  to  change  the  bluefish  tackle, 
substituting  a  smaller  spoon  and  lighter  sinker.  The  Spanish  mackerel 
takes  the  bait  with  a  snap,  makes  a  short  and  gallant  fight,  and  when  he 
yields,  gives  up  thoroughly,^  having  no  more  struggle  in  him.  Off  the 
Southern  coast,  the  capture  of  Spanish  mackerel  with  hook  and  line  is 
practiced  frequently  and  with  success.  The  baits  used  are  the  same  as  in 
bluefishing,  and  the  months  when  the  mackerel  appear  on  the  Jersey  and 
New  York  coast  are  August  and  September." 


51 


THE    SHEEPSHEAD. 

"Patient  and  motionless  he  waits, 
Unmindful  of  all  meaner  prize; 
His  hand  upon  the  humming  line, 
Fixed  on  his  task  his  eager  eyes; 
The  tiashing  bluefish  may  rush  by, 
The  pig-like  porpoise  tumble  near, 
The  dusky  shark  may  lash  the  foam. 
And  sturgeon  from  the  wave  leap  clear. 
He  heeds  not — but  awaits  the  jerk 
Of  sheepshead,  down  below  that  lurk." 

It  is  for  the  hotel  perhaps  more  than  for  the  hook  that  the  sheepshead 
is  prized,  but  there  is  considerable  skill  required  and  a  fair  amount  of 
excitement  found  in  fishing  for  this  species.  The  name  is  derived  from 
the  appearance  of  the  mouth  and  projecting  teeth,  givnig  the  fish  power  to 
"graze"  on  the  molluscs  which  adhere  to  rocks,  sunken  logs,  stakes,  etc. 
This  peculiarity  is  taken  advantage  of  by  natives  along  the  Virginia  coast 
who  form  pens  by  driving  split  stakes  into  the  bottom  of  the  sounds  or 
inlets,  arranging  these  stakes  in  a  circle  or  square,  and  the  molluscs  attached 
thereto  form  an  irresistible  attraction  for  the  sheepshead  during  the  annual 
run  or  migration  of  the  fish. 

The  fish  is  somewhat  uncouth  in  appearance,  with  its  large  head,  huge 
projecting  teeth  and  back  arched  in  a  great  hump,  a  large  dorsal  fin  run- 
ning nearly  the  entire  length,  armed  with  strong  sharp  spines  which  can 
be  raised  or  lowered  at  will.  The  sheepshead  is  beautiful  in  color,  how- 
ever, and  is  a  rare  delicacy  as  an  article  of  food — these  qualities  relieving 
the  fish  of  the  charge  of  absolute  ugliness. 

A  stout  rod — similar  in  size  to  the  striped  bass  rod — a  multiplying 
reel,  braided  linen  line,  with  swivel  and  tracing  sinker,  a  double  gut  leader, 
a  stout  hook  with  short  shank,  baited  with  shedder  crab  or  soft  clam,  will 
be  found  a  good  outfit  for  still  fishing,  the  usual  method  of  catching  sheeps- 
head at  Barnegat,  Rockaway  Beach,  Long  Branch,  Atlantic  City,  South 
Bay,  and  other  popular  angling  resorts.  A  taut  line  is  necessary  to  enable 
the  angler  to  feel  the  slightest  nibble,  as  the  sheepshead  is  a  cautious 
feeder. 


'•/S^- 


There  were  knights  of  shot-gun  and  rifle, 

Disciples  of  rod  and  the  reel, 
Each  telling  some  tale  as  a  trifle  ' ,/ 

To  add  to  the  company's  Aveal. 
There  were  stories  of  camping  and   shoofiing, 

All  told  with  abandon  and  zest, 
But  the  fish  tales  seem'd  to  be  suiting 

The  taste  of  the  brotherhood  best. 


/^ 


A^^^tty  part^r.  of  iJ.  anglers,  eminent 
in  their  respective^  lines  o|<^ business,  ^rf^t^ 
eqvii^lly  fanxpus 'fpr  skiU  in  listing  their 
■fishjtig/ lines  Ui  p,l«tian^r|4^ces,  had 
Jasseofifeled  on  the  Tpahl^V JiOl^-^iire^gf&at 
Xaitvfeiess  Ri/t  er^l^the  North,  and  were 
,>e«^5^ing  t§§&gfl^'\ous    sppr^^H^'-be    had 


W-iis  incumbent" upon  "each^n^M^ber  to  tell 
**  an  o'er  true  tale,"  or  fish  st6rvri^fere- 
-4j|;6^1cing  ^Sip^and_  the  following  col- 
lectfon  froiii^  the  Records  of  the  historian 
of  the  party,  can^^be:;taken  c««?^^raf«o 
salis,,  or  with  due  faith  in  the  everlast- 
ing truth  of  fishing  fables  in  gen&ral, 
and  these  in  particular. 


WONDERFUL    LEAP    OF  A  SALMON. 


One  of  the  old  members  of  the  chib,  Mr.  A.  W.  Courtney, 
related  the  following  story.  Living,  as  I  do,  in  the  city  of  Buffalo, 
I  have  had  many  opportunities  for  fishing  in  Lake  Erie,  and  enjoyed 
some  exciting  sport  there,  but  the  most  thrilling  experience  of  my 
life  in  the  fishing  line  was  in  the  rapids  below  Niagara  Falls.  Probably- 
few  anglers  are  aware  of  the  fact  that  in  years  gone  by  salmon  could  be 
found  in  comparative  abundance  all  along  the  Niagara  River,  up  to  the 
falls.  Perhaps  the  salmon  have  vanished  there  now,  as  I  understand  is 
the  case  in  the  Hudson,  where  the  salmon  fishing  was  good  in  my  boy- 
hood. I  was  a  rather  wild  and  reckless  youth,  given  to  daring  exploits, 
and  it  was  an  ordinary  amusement  of  mine  to  fish  the  Niagara  River  in  a 
birch  bark  canoe.  My  familiarity  with  the  sunken  rocks  and  my  skill  in 
avoiding  the  wildest  whirlpools  enabled  me  to  escape  the  fate  of  Capt. 
Webb,  and  other  unfortunate  adventureis.  ^ 

On  one  occasion  I  hooked  a  very  large  salmon,  and 
contrary  to  the  usual  custom  or  habit  of  the  species,  he  took 
his  course  directly  up  stream  toward  the  falls,  and  I  failed 
to  check  him,  though  I  exerted  the  fullest  resistance  of'  the 
rod  and  line.  As  we  neared  the  falls,  I  felt  confident  that  he 
would  turn,  but  he  still  rushed  onward  until  I  could  feel,  the 
spray  of  the  great  cataract  in  mj'  face,  and  note  its  powe%S|^ 
magnetic  attraction  drawing  my  frail  craft  into  the  awful 
vortex  of  boiling  waters. 

In  my  experiments  I  had  contemplated  the  pop^^fli^^^^^^''"^fjl' 
such  a  calamity  as  this,  and  was  prepared  to  avoid  iK     Along    j^' 
the  bottom  of  the  canoe  was  a  strong  hickory  slao,  perhaps  jv" 
half  an  inch  in  thickness,  and  running  the  full  length  of  flie  'Jj 
boat.     In  the  center  I  had   placed  a   powerful   spiral   spruig,    / 
covered  by  a  circular  piece   of  wood  one   foot  ijQL.  diametei:^-V' 
Stepping  upon  this  I  touched  a  side  lever,  and  was  thrown 
into  the  air  with   amazing   force,  at  a  slight  angle,  as  I   had 
previously  adjusted  the  spring  with    coolness   and   precision, 
estimating  that  it  would  carry  me  to  the  immense  rjocfafirt*  the 
brink  of  the  falls. 

The  force  was  barely  sufficient  to  throw  me  upon   the  rock,3vh^e  !'■ 
found  a  foothold,  and  having  eased  the  line  which  went  spinning  from  tW 
reel  with  amazing  velocity,  during  my  ascent,  I  was  prepared   to  continu 
the  battle  with  the  salmon.     After  a  short  run  down  the  stream  the  salmon 


) 


54 


turned,  and  when  some  twelve  feet  distant  from  the  foot  of  the  falls  made 
the  most  wonderful  leap  ever  recorded,  striking  the  water  again  just  above 
the  crest,  and  my  multiplying  reel  served  its  piu-pose  excellently,  giving 
the  fish  very  little,  if  any,  slack  line.  To  make  a  long  stor}^  short,  I  will 
merelv  add  that  the  salmon  was  quite  exhausted  with  his  wonderful  effort, 
and  was  drawn  almost  unresistingly  into  my  landing  net,  which  I  had 
fastened  at  my  belt  and  loosened  for  the  occasion,  just  as  the  giant  game 
fish  turned  upon  his  side  and  would  have  floated  down  the  cataract  if  I  had 
not  taken  him  in  just  at  the  right  instant. 

My  adventure  was  witnessed  by  but  a  few  people,  onl)'^  one  of  whom 
is  now  living ;  but  I  always  bless  their  memory  for  the  aid  rendered  in 
rescuing  me  from  my  perilous  position.  If  any  skeptic  doubts  the  accuracy 
of  mv  story  in  a  single  detail,  I  can  refer  him  to  the  life-like  picture  drawn 
upon  the  spot  by  an  artist  who  witnessed  the  affair,  and  through  whose 
kindness  the  picture  will  be  reproduced  in  the  faithful  chronicle  of  adven- 
tures bv  sea  and  shore. 


A  FIGHT   WITH  A  BROOK   TROUT. 


■m 


■? 


You  have  all  no  doubt  heard  of  the  monster 
trout  of  the  Maine  lakes,  where  they  grow  to 
an  almost  fabulous  size,  quietly  remarked  Dr.  A. 
T.  Sanden,  of  New  York.  I  had  an  adventure 
up  there  last  season,  and  can  vouch  for  the  game 
r^  qualities  of  the  brook  trout  in  that  region.  I  was 
fishing  in  one  of  the  Rangele}'  lakes,  and  had 
caught  perhaps  fifty  trout  of  large  size,  but  my 
^':-^'^^-  ambition   was,   if  possible,  to  break  the  record. 

F     ^  After  experimenting  with  the  various  flies,  which 

I  carried  in  my  fly  book,  I  at  last  selected  a  large 
and  gaudy  one,  nearly  equaling  a  salmon  fly  in  size,  and  made  a  cast  in 
a  localitv  where  the  guide '  assured  me  some  of  the  largest  trout  con- 
gregated. 

A  rise  and  strike  immediately  followed.  I  knew  by  the  vigorous 
manner  in  which  the  trout  took  the  fly  that  I  had  a  fine  gamy  fish  at  the 
end  of  the  line.     Such  rushes  and  wnld  leaps  for  liberty  you  j^erhaps  never 


55 


saw.     All  the  tactics  familiar  to  experience^,!  anglers  were 
tried  in  this  battle  for  supremacy,  and  at  the  end  of  half  an 
hour  I  was  nearly  exhausted.     I  stood   in   tne  bow  of  the 
skiff,  and  the  trout  in   his   swift   gyrations  would    spin   mc 
round   and   round  until  1  felt  dizzy  and  weak.  ^Thcn  a^^nin 
he  would  leap   from   the   water,  sometimes    jumping  over 
the    boat,  and  apparently  trying  to  entangle  the  line  about 
my  neck  for  the  purpose  of    strang- 
ling me.     Sometimes  he  would  leap 
back    and    forth,  forming  a    perfect 
curve  perhaps  fifty  feet  in  extent,  and 
hi^  njjp^v.qBfin}:]iW>cere  so  -ifapid  that  1 
seemed  to  see   a  rainbow   of  colors  before  my 
eyes.     Once  he  struck   the   boat,  and  the  shock 
nearly  threw  me  overboard. 

The  guide  shared  my  excitement  but  man- 
aged to  keep  an  outward  show  of  coolness,  and  his  de\lcrit\  in 
the  boat  prevented  it  from  being  overturned.  At  last,  after  a 
fierce  struggles  the  trout  was  brought  within  reach  of  the  landing^ 
carefully  lifted  into  the  boat,  where  we  found  by  using  the  pocket  scales 
which  I  had  brought  with  me  that  the  fish  weighed  a  full  half  pound,  and 
I  have  always  believed  that  he  was  even  heavier  when  making  "Wk  fight  in 
the  water.  ,   .. 


A  COAT    TAIL  AND    FISH    TALE. 


Well,  I  never  had  any  great  luck  in  fishing,  said 
Mr.  George  H.  Reager,  of  Philadelphia,  but  I  once  had 
a  rather  peculiar  experience  down  on  the  Lycoming  in 
Pennsylvania,  with  my  friend  Sylvanus.  We  spent 
the  whole  forenoon  fishing,  but  the  sun  shone  hot,  and 
neither  of  us  had  caught  a  fin.  Finally  I  stopped  for 
lunch,  put  my  basket  on  the  l)ank,  and  sat  down  on  a 
log  over  the  stream,  in  a  shaded  nook.  I  hadn't  been 
there  a  minute  when  I  felt  a  jerk  at  my  coat  tail,  but  I 
knew  it  was  my  friend,  trying  to  startle  or  scare  me,  so 
I  refused  to  look  around.  I  just  gave  my  coat  a  pull 
and  loosened  it,  and  then  went  on  with  my  lunch. 

This  happened  several  times,  until  finally  my 
patience  was  exhausted  and  I  jerked  my  coat  tail  away 


56 


spitefully  and  turned  to  give  Sylvanus  a  lecture  for  his  nonsense,  but  bless 
you,  he  vvan't  there.  Then  I  looked  up  at  my  basket  on  the  bank,  and  to 
my  surprise  it  was  full  of  fine  trout.  Every  time  I  had  jerked  my  coat 
tail  I  flopped  a  fish  into  the  basket,  for  I  foinid  that  the  barbless  hook, 
baited  with  an  angleworm,  was  hanging  out  through  a  rent  in  my  pocket 
with  about  a  foot  of  line,  and  I  had  been  doing  a  good  stroke  at  still  fish- 
ing without  knowing  it — "and  a  very  good  record  for  the  'Lie-Coming 
River,'  too,"  interrupted  a  listener. 


THE    REMARKABLE    TROUT    FRY. 


That  is  somewhat  similar  to  an  incident  which  I  recall,  said  Mr.  S.  B. 
Smith,  of  Dauchy's  Agency,  one  of  the  quiet  men  of  the  party.  Three 
of  us,  schoolboy  chums,  were  trout  fishing  in  northern  New  York,  and  the 
duties  of  cook  were  filled  in  rotation  by  each  of  our  trio.  On  the  day 
referred  to,  I  filled  the  position  of  cook,  and  arose  early  to  prepare  break- 
fast. I  partially  kindled  a  camp  fire,  stuck  the  keen-pointed,  sharp-bladed 
knife  through  an  overhanging  branch,  and  underneath  this  placed  a  board 
at  an  angle,  and  drew  a  rough  outline  of  a  man,  with  a  silver  spoon  fastened 
in  the  crevice  representing  the  mouth. 

After  this  boyish  prank,  designed  to  amuse  my  comrades  when  they 
should  come  out  of  the  tent,  I  hung  the  frying  pan  above  the  slow  fire, 
and  proceeded  to  the  stream,  some  ten  yards  awav,  hoping  to  catch  a  few- 
trout  for  breakfast.  I  fished  by  main  strength,  not  by  skill,  in  those  days, 
and  although  three  large  trout  seized  the  hook  in  rapid  succession,  I  lost 
every  one  by  yanking  the  rod  fiercely  and  sending  the  fish  spinning  through 
the  air,  tearing  the  bai^b  loose. 

.Becoming  discouraged,  I  was  about  to  return  to  the  tent,  when  Rob, 
who  had  come  to  the  camp-fire,  told  me  to  look  out  for 
the  frying  fish  or  they  would  be  burned  to  a  crisp. 
Each  of  the  trout  I  had  hooked  went  in  a  semicircle, 
struck  the  sharp  point  of  the  projecting  knife,  which 
opened  the  fish  neatly,  and  in  sliding  down  the  board 
the  viscera  was  removed  by  the  spoon,  so  that  all  fell 
into  the  frying  pan,  properly  dressed  for  company, 
S^iSand  done  brown   for  the  table,  when   I  returned. 


57 


AN  AIRY  FISHING  TOUR. 

My  fishing  propensity,  said  A.  L.  Tiiomas,  of  Lord  &  Thomas,  proved 
to  be  the  foundation  of  my  fortune.  By  incHnation,  almost  by  instinct  in 
fact,  I  am  opposed  to  shooting  or  fishing  for  the  markets,  but  in  the  instance 
referred  to,  I  think  you  will  all  agree  with  me  that  my  course  was  entirely 
proper.  I  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  Lake  Region  of  Minnesota,  and 
owned  a  small  farm,  but  like  many  frontiersmen  my  tastes  led  me  to 
indulge  more  in  the  wild  sports  of  the  West  than  in  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  In  one  of  the  lakes,  near  my  farm,  the  pike  grew  to  large  size, 
and  on  two  occasions  I  had  hooked  a  monster  which  broke  away,  leaving 
me  vexed  and  more  determined  than  ever  to  catch  him.  Finally  I  decided 
to  put  out  a  long  string  of  set  lines  running  nearly  across  the  lake,  and 
having  no  special  use  for  a  large  quantity  of  fish,  I  intended  to  liberate  all 
except  the  big  pike,  which  I  was  after. 

I  rose  early  the  next  morning  after  setting  my  lines,  and  found  an 
immense  flock  of  wild  geese  on  the  lake.  There  was  a  great  fluttering 
and  commotion  as  I  drew  near,  and  upon  loosening  the  rope  upon  which 
the  short  lines  were  attached,  the  entire  flock  of  geese  rose  into  the  air.  I 
had  fastened  the  rope  to  my  wrist,  intending  to  haul  in  the  fish,  but  to  my 
astonishment  many  of  the  hooks  had  been  taken  by  the  geese,  and  I  was 
carried  up  into  the  air  trailing  after  the  largest  assemblage  of  fish  and  fowl 
I  had  ever  seen.  The  geese  rose  to  a  dizzy  height,  and  then  started 
directly  for  the  North  Pole,  as  nearly  as  I  could  estimate. 

My  position  was  not  a  pleasant  one,  though  it  was  sufficiently  exciting. 
After  flying  several  miles  in  this  manner,  the  weight  of  the  fish  and  myself 
seemed  to  tire  the  geese,  for  they  gradually'  settled  down,  and  finally,  much 
to  my  relief,  the  rope  became  tangled  in  a  huge  branch  of  a  hollow  tree, 
which  had  been  broken  off  at  the  top.  Into  this  hollow  tree  I  fell  to  the 
depth  of  perhaps  ten  feet,  and  discovered  that  I  was  standing  knee  deep 


:^' 


T^ 


7>*' 


in  honeycomb,  though  fortunately  the  bees  had  forsaken  the  tree.  The 
rope  had  become  loosened  from  my  arm,  and  I  saw  no  prospect  of  escap- 
ing from  my  strange  prison.  Suddenly  I  heard  a  prodigious  scratching 
and  scrambling  outside,  and  looking  up  saw  a  large  bear  descending  back- 
ward into  the  hollow  tree.  I  drew  my  knife,  and  as  the  bear  came  within 
reach,  grasping  him  firmly,  made  a  sharp  stab  which  had  the  effect  of 
starting  bruin  out  again.  As  he  reached  the  top,  I  took  a  firm  hold  with 
one  hand  and  with  the  other  pushed  the  bear  forcibly,  overbalancing  him 
so  that  he  fell  to  the  ground,  striking  on  his  head,  and  his  neck  cracked  with 
a  report  like  a  pistol. 

I  then  gathered  my  scattered  senses  (together  with  the  geese  and  fish), 
and  was  delighted  to  find  that  my  home  was  only  a  mile  distant.  By  the 
aid  of  my  horses  and  wagon  I  collected  the  fish  and  game,  shipped  them 
to  the  best  market,  and  from  the  proceeds  of  this  shipment  and  the  money 
received  for  a  ton  of  first-class  honey,  I  established  myself  in  business. 
From  that  day  to  this  I  have  been  able,  whenever  it  was  necessary,  to 
catch  my  fish  with  a  silver  hook. 


A  STRANGE  ARTIFICIAL    GROWTH. 

Not  many  years  ago,  said  Mr.  Frank  Alden,  of  Cincinnati,  I  owned 
a  private  fish  preserve,  and  was  fond  of  making  experiments  of  various 
kinds  in  fish  culture.  A  favorite  hobby  of  mine  was  to  observe  and 
record  the  growth  of  different  species  each  year.  In  doing  this  I  fastened 
a  metallic  tag  to  the  fish,  describing  the  date,  conditions  and  size  of  the 
specimen.  As  a  novelty  I  once  attached  a  brass  whistle  to  a  small  black 
bass,  weighing  one  pound,  and  one  year  later  caught  the  same  fish,  and 
was  surprised  to  observe  a  most  wonderful  phenomenon.  Not  one  of  vou 
could  guess  the  remarkable  change  that  had  taken  place  in  that  length  of 
time.  No,  the  weight  of  the  fish  had  not  increased  so  greatly  as  you 
suppose,  in  fact,  the  fish  still  weighed  one  pound,  but  the  whistle  had 
increased  in  size  and  tone  to  a  large  fog  horn. 


A    SOMEWHAT    REMARKABLE   STORY. 

I  was  passing  down  Main  street,  in  Rochester,  New  York,  a  few 
days  ago,  said  Mr.  Palmer  of  the  H.  H.  Warner  Co.,  of  that  city,  and  my 
attention  was  attracted  by  a  large  crowd  in  front  of  one  of  the  prominent 
restaurants ;  edging  my  way  into  the  crowd,  I  beheld  a  large  washtub 
filled  with  some  of  the  finest  specimens  of  black  bass  I  had  ever  seen.  A 
placard  informed  the  observer  that  these  black  bass  had  been  caught  by 
Mr.  John  M.  Ives,  of  our  company,  a  day  or  so  before  in  a  creek  fifteen 
feet  wide,  near  Oak  Orchard,  a  country  village,  about  forty  miles  from 
Rochester. 

Being  a  lover  of  game  fishing  I  stepped  in  to  critically  examine  the 
fish;  after  the  closest  scrutiny  I  failed  to  discover  a  single  mark  on  any  of 
the  fish  that  would  indicate  they  had  been  caught  with  a  fish  hook,  and  I 


immed  iately 
mind  that  Mr. 
friend  of  his 
the  fish  in  a 
hastened  over 
establish  m  e  n  t 
Ives,  and  our 
was  as  f o  1  - 
"Hello, 
are  pretty  nice 


made  up  my 
Ives  or  some 
had  caught 
seine,  and  I 
to  the  Warner 
and  met  Mr. 
conversation 
lows  : 

John,  those 
fish  over  thei-e 


in  the  window  on  Main  street,  and  I  am  puzzled  to  know  how  you  caught 
them,  for  I  cannot  find  a  hook  mark  on  them." 

"  Well  the  fact  is,  I  was  rowing  up  the  stream  at  night  with  a  lantern 
brightly  burning  on  the  seat  before  me ;  I  felt  something  strike  the 
bottom  of  the  boat,  and  upon  investigation  found  it  to  be  a  five-pound 
bass.  Before  I  could  recover  from  my  surprise  another  bass  fell  in  the  same 
manner,  and  this  strange  phenomenon  continued  quite  a  while.  You  see 
the  fish  were  attracted  by  the  bright  light,  and  they  jumped  out  of  the 
water  at  it,  and  fell  m  the  boat." 

"  This  is  all  right  John,  but  is  it  not  remarkable  that  the  fish  did  not 
jump  clear  over  the  boat.?" 

"  Not  at  all.  You  see  I  was  rowing  in  the  center  of  the  stream  and 
the  fish  jumped  in  from  both  sides  at  the  same  time,  striking  their  heads 
together  while  over  the  boat,  and  fell  in  an  insensible  condition.  They 
kept  up  this  strange  proceeding  until  the  oil  in  the  lantern  gave  out,  and 
the  light  disappeared.  I  am  well  satisfied  that  I  could  have  caught  a  great 
many  more  if  the  light  had  lasted  longer." 


60 


This  story  may  sound  rather  strange  to  any  person  not  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Ives,  but  if  there  be  any  "  doubting  Thomases,"  I  would  say 
that  Mr.  Ives  will  not  only  vouch  for  this  story,  as  being  the  truth,  but  he 
is  in  a  position  to  prove  it  beyond  a  shadow  of  doubt,  as  I  have  seen  the 
lantern  myself;  and  Mr.  Ives,  if  necessary,  will  make  an  affidavit  that  the 
lantern  is  now  in  his  possession,  this  convincing  evidence  removing  every 
question  as  to  the  truthfulness  of  this  story. 


THE    MUSICAL   BASS. 

The  freaks  of  nature,  both  in  the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms, 
including  of  course  the  little  fishes  in  the  brook,  seem  to  me  really  marvel- 
ous, said  J.  L.  Stack,  the  St.  Paul  Advertising  Agent.  For  instance,  at 
Dellwood  lake  in  Minnesota,  which  I  have  owned  for  many  years  past, 
an  incident  occurred  that  has  entireh'  changed  the  habits  and  characteristics 
of  the  black  bass  inhabiting  it.  About  ten  years  ago  my  partner  and  myself 
were  capsized  while  sailing,  and  by  a  singular  coincidence  each  of  us  lost 
a  fine  gold  watch.  These  watches  were  exactly  alike,  and  a  musical 
attachment  playing  the  air  of  "  A  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave,"  had  been 
placed  in  the  chromometers  by  special  order.  The  watches  were  stem 
winders,  and  this  particular  tune  was  played  each  hour  in  the  day. 

Of  course  we  both  supposed  our  w^atches  were  lost  beyond  recovery, 
but  last  season  while  fishing  in  the  lake,  after  an  absence  of  several  years 
from  that  locality,  I  caught  a  monster  bass,  and  you  can  imagine  m}-  aston- 
ishment at  finding  my  watch  snugly  stowed  away  in  the  department  of  the 
interior.  More  singular  still,  it  was  in  perfect  order,  keeping  accurate 
time,  for  bv  some  peculiar  movement  on  the  part  of  the  fish,  the  watch  had 
been  kept  constantly  wound  up.  I  found  bv  comparing  the  time  with  the 
watch  I  carried  at  the  hour  of  catching  the  fish  that  it  had  not  varied  two  sec- 
onds during  all  the  years  it  had  been  carried  by  the  bass.  The  chain,  by 
the  way,  the  bass  carried  in  a  sort  of  negligee  fashion,  partly  hanging 
through  his  gill. 

But  the  most  wonderful  part  of  the  whole  affair  I  discovered  later, 
after  catching  a  few  more  bass  in  the  same  locality.  It  appears  that  my 
partner's  watch  had  also  been  swallowed  by  a  black  bass,  and  in  course  of 
time,  through  the  mysteries*  of  scientific  propagation,  this  musical  watch 
attachment  had  become  hereditar\',  and  every  black  bass  taken  in  that  lake 
was  found  to  be  his  own  timekeeper,  and  occasionally  the  fish  danced  the 
Fisher's  Hornpipe  to  their  own  music  in  a  most  amusing  manner. 


THE  ADVERTISING    FISH. 

Several  years  ago,  when  I  was  living  in 
Texas,  I  had  a  somewhat  unusual  experience, 
quietly  remarked  Mr.  Wm.  C.  Hunter,  advertis- 
ing manager  of  Boyce's  Big  Weeklies.  I  am  a 
hunter  by  nature  as  well  as  by  name,  and  spend  a 
considerable  time  in  sport  with  tlie  gun  and  rod. 
On  the  occasion  referred  to  I  was  in  the  Indian 
Territory,  the  guest  of  "  a  squaw  man"  at 
Eufala,  and  we  started  on  a  fishing  trip  in  the 
Choctaw  nation.  Arriving  at  our  destination 
we  prepared  to  worry  the  festive  bass.  No 
sooner  did  I  cast  than  a  large  5^-pound  bass 
jumped  out  of  the  water  and  took  the  hook  in 
ten  minutes  I  landed  him.  I  held  him  up  to  show  my  friend,  when  I  noticed 
a  peculiar  marking  on  the  belly  of  the  fish,  caused  by  the  veins  showing 
through  the  skin.  In  a  moment  my  friend  caught  a  bass  about  the  same 
size  and  similarly  marked.  Upon  looking  at  the  strange  marking  we 
found  the  veins  formed  the  letters  B  pW.  We  tried  in  vain  to  solve  the 
meaning  of  the  veins  and  started  to  fish  again,  and  in  three  hours  we 
caught  ninety- three  bass,  every  one  marked  the  same  as  the  first  two.  I 
never  solved  the  enigma  until  about  three  years  ago  I  told  the  story  to  Mr. 
Boyce,  and  he  smilingly  informed  me  that  the  letters  represented  the  words  : 
Blade,  Ledger,  World — Best  Paying  Weeklies.  I  saw  the  connection  at  a 
glance. 

Mr.  Boyce  is  up  to  all  new  schemes  for  advertising,  and  I  would  like 
to  know  whether  he  "fixed  "  the  advertising  fish,  or  whether  it  was  simply 
a  freak  of  nature,  calling  the  attention  of  sportsmen  to  a  well-known  fact 
among  advertisers. 


A  LIVELY  SPIRIT    OF    SPIRIT    LAKE. 

I  once  had  quite  a  severe  fright  while  fishing  by  moonlight  on  Spirit 
Lake,  Iowa.  I  was  usually  quite  successful  in  night  fishing,  and  as  my 
business  kept  me  from  enjoying  the  sport  during  the  day  time,  I  nearly 
always  devoted  a  few  hours  each  evening  to  angling,  said  Mr.  C.  E.  Ray- 
mond, of  Chicago.  On  the  night  referred  to,  a  large  fish — apparently — 
seized  the  hook,  and  then  began  the  most  remarkable  struggle  I  ever  ex- 
perienced. Sometimes  the  creature  was  out  of  the  water,  sailing  along  with 
flapping  wings  of  fins  for  a  distance  of  fifteen  or  twenty  yards,  when  it 
would   dive    again,  all   the   time  making   the   most  vigorous  attempts  to 


63 


"o  j; 


S<^ 


o  cr 

P  r^ 

p.  n 
D.  = 

r»  5* 

O  ore) 

3-  o 


3     P 


^  :: 


escape,  my  line  meanwhile  humming  a  very  lively  reel.  When  in  the  air 
it  would  utter  a  weird  and  mournful  sound  that  could  be  heard  for  miles. 
I  am  not  naturally  superstitious,  but  this  caused  nervous  chills  to  ci'eep 
over  me,  as  the  legends  of  Spirit  Lake  were  of  such  a  character  that  I 
imagined  I  might  have  caught  the  ghost  of  some  departed  lake  monster. 
Finally,  after  about  fifteen  minutes,  the  creature  was  secured,  and  I  dis- 
covered it  to  be  a  large  loon,  while  the  attendant  excitement  nearly  made 
me  a  lunatic. 


FUN.  WITH    FLYING    FISH. 


<^,      " 


Mr.  Lyman  D.  Morse,  of  the  Bates  &  Morse  Agency,  considered  the 
the  most  unassuming  member  of  the  club,  told  the  following  modest  tale : 
For  the  benefit  of  my  health  I  took  an  ocean  voyage,  a  few  years  ago, 
and  to  fully  enjoy  my  trip  I  carried  a  complete  outfit  for  fishing  and  shoot- 
ing. Our  ship  was  a  sailing  vessel,  and  we  lay  becalmed  for  a  week  on 
the  line  of  the  equator,  with  the  midsummer  sun  fairly  boiling  the  sur- 
face of  the  ocean,  so  that  it  seemed  like  an  immense  seething  cauldron. 
This  condition  of  affairs  was  very  monotonous  to  everyone  except  the 
cook,  who  made  the  best  of  it  by  doing  a  little  deep-sea  fishing  every  day, 
and  cooking  his  fish  in  the  ocean  brine  as  he  held  them  at  the  top  of  the 
water  for  a  moment. 


dng  fish  were  too  sharp  to  be  caught  by  still  fishing,  and  too 
s^itt/ to  'be   lingering    around    near  the  boiling   point,   which   was  only 
^lybut^rffoot    in-depth.       Large    schools  of    these  fish  could  be  seen   in 
/sfagioys  directions,  dar':ing  up  through  the  hot  surface  water,  and   cooling 

their  fins  and  bodies  by  a  long  flight  in  the 
shadow  of  our  sails.  The  fish  became  quite  soci- 
able, and  evidently  had  a  larger  degree  of  intelli- 
gence than  most  members  of  the  finny  tribe. 

To  while  away  the  time  it  occurred  to  me 
that  we  might  have  some  amusement  by  attaching 
small  flags  to  the  fish  which  we  caught,  and  in  a 
short  time  we  produced  a  combination  which  gave 
a  surprising  effect  by  starting  a  dozen  different 
fish  fi'om  the  boat  at  one  time,  with  the  emblems 
of  twelve  different  nations.  The  fish  evidently 
enjoN'ed  the  sport,  and  would  return  voluntarily 
to  be  placed  in  line  and  take  a  new  flight,  with 
waving  banners  in  the  air. 


65 


AN    EYE    FOR    AN    EYE. 


Mr.  J.  B.  Rose,  of  Chicago,  known  as  the  modest  man  of  the  chib, 
told  the  following  story  :  In  my  youth  I  was  a  more  persistent  and  enthu- 
siastic angler  than  at  the  present  time,  and  I  shall  always  keep  vividly  in 
mind  the  exciting  incident  I  am  about  to  relate.  After  completing  my 
college  course  I  devoted  three  months'  time  to  out-door  sports,  principally 
fishing,  and  during  my  rambles  with  the  rod,  located  a  very  large  fish  in  a 
deep  pool,  below  the  rapids  of  White  River,  so  called  on  account  of  the 
breakers  and  foam  along  the  frequent  cascades. 

I  had  observed,  on  more  than  one  occasion,  the  huge  form  of  this  fish, 
always  in  the  same  pool,  breaking  the  surface  as  he  feasted  on  the  natural 
flies,  or  leaping  in  play  when  the  rising  or  setting  sun  tinged  the  waters, 
but  he  seemed  insensible  to  the  attraction  of  my  best  lures,  and  most  taking 
ways.  My  summer  outing  was  nearly  over,  and  I  determined  on  a  final 
effort  to  catch  the  king  of  the  pool.  As  I  approached  the  spot  I  observed 
that  he  was  taking  his  morning  meal  in  dignified  leisure,  but  to  my  con- 
sternation a  colored  gentleman  of  African  descent  was  just  preparing  to 
cast  his  primitive  hook  and  line,  he  being  partially  shielded  from  view  by 
the  overhanging  boughs  and  a  huge  boulder  which  intervened  between  us. 
The  colored  angler  evidently  had  the  right  of  way  in  the  fishing  line, 
and  I  decided  to  watch  developments.  His  bait  was  a  live  minnow,  and  he 
prepared  with  due  deliberation  to  make  his  cast  where  the  large  fish  had 
been  rising.  His  first  cast  was  unsuccessful,  and  he  retrieved  the  line  by 
jerking  the  pole  backward,  evidently  intending  to  throw  his  bait  a  little 
further  up  the  stream  at  the  next  attempt.  His  whole  mind  and  energy 
seemed  bent  on  the  capture  of  the  fish,  and  subsequent  developments 
proved  the  mastery  of  mind  over  matter.    By  some  means  the  pole  struck  an 

overhanging  branch  in  its  backward 
cast,  and  the  line  wasdiverted  from  the 
course  intended.  The  minnow  was 
jerked  from  the  hook,  which  flew 
backward  and  struck  the  angler 
fairly  in  the  eye.  The  pain  must 
have  been  excruciating,  but  sojntent 


was  he  upon  the  work  before  him  that  the  forward  cast  was  made  exactly 
in  accordance  with  his  original  intention,  the  eye  was  jerked  from  its 
socket  and  fell  in  the  water  at  the  spot  which  he  had  intended  to  reach 
with  the  minnow.  The  fish  seized  it  eagerly,  and  then  began  a  most 
remarkable  battle  which  ended,  by  my  assistance,  in  the  capture  of 
the  fish. 

During  my  college  course  I  had  made  a  special  study  of  the  human 
eye,  with  the  intention  of  becoming  an  oculist,  and  the  knowledge  thus 
gained  proved  of  great  value  to  me  in  this  emergency.  Fortunately  my 
case  of  instruments  had  been  placed  in  my  coat  pocket,  and  observing 
that  the  eye  of  the  fish  was  almost  identical  in  size  and  color  with  that  of 
the  angler,  I  determined  to  make  a  remarkable  experiment  in  surgery. 
Carefully  removing  the  eye  from  the  fish,  I  placed  it  in  the  socket  from 
which  the  negro's  lacei'ated  optic  had  been  torn,  and  connected  the 
severed  nerve  so  deftly  that  within  a  few  minutes,  the  negro  was  able 
to  take  a  glance  at  the  fish  with  the  borrowed  eye  taken  from  the  fish 
captured.  At  the  present  time  scarcely  any  difference  can  be  detected 
in  the  eyes  of  the  colored  angler,  except  that  the  one  transplanted  from 
the  fish  has  a  slight  "  cast"  in  it. 

BUFFALO    SHOOTING    ON    THE    WING. 

Perhaps  you  never  heard  of  shooting  buffalo  on  the  wing,  said  Mr. 
Conrad  Budke,  of  St.  Louis.  I  do  not,  of  course,  mean  the  wild  buffalo 
recently  described  in  the  Saturday  Blade^  referring  to  a  long-lost  herd  dis- 
covered somewhere  out  West.  The  kind  I  have  reference  to  is  the  buffalo 
fish,  to  be  found  in  the  Southwest.  It  is  one  of  the  gamest  fish  in  Louisi- 
ana. The  bayous  overflow  all  the  flat  country,  which  at  certain  seasons  is 
covered  to  a  depth  of  about  twelve  inches,  affording  excellent  feeding 
grounds  for  the  buffalo  fish. 

The  local  sportsmen  and  planters  manage  to  have  excellent  sport  in 
this  way:  On  finding  a  herd — I  mean  a  school — of  buffalo  fish,  the 
chase  begins.  Upon  reaching  the  board  fences,  which  run  across  the  over- 
flowed fields,  the  fish  take  flying  leaps,  and  gunners  stationed  along  the 
line  pick  them  off  by  snap  shots.  Some  of  the  expert  shooters  use  repeat- 
ing rifles,  and  it  is  very  exciting  sport, 
especially 
fromthewater       -; 

fences,  the  -'/ ''k^^*_*'J^---l  —fl~^^  boats,  submerged  brush 
heaps,    and  '^"^^^^^^^L^^l^^  i  -  ^   --*        even  the  dwarf  trees  grow- 

ing along  the  -t-'^^^^~~^  '-  lowlands. 


67 


^\    when   the  buffalo,  arising 
(Kry  ^j^     on  all  sides,  fly  over    the 


A  GOOD  ELECTRIC  EEL, 

Dr.  R.  V.  Pierce,  of  Buffalo,  gave  the  following  interesting  story  :  I 
do  not,  as  a  rule,  reveal  any  of  my  business  secrets,  but  as  we  are  all  brother 
anglers,  and  as  my  success  in  life  is  so  closely  identified  with  fish  and  fish- 
ing, I  will  relate  a  little  story,  '  not  necessarily  for  publication,  but  as  a  guar- 
antee of  good  faith,' — to  use  the  newspaper  phrase.  Many  years  ago, 
before  I  became  a  practicing  physician  and  specialist,  I  was  fishing  in  a 
certain  locality  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  name,  as  I  might  by  so  doing 
give  some  shrewd  practitioner  a  chance  to  establish  himself  as  a  competitor 
in  the  same  line  of  business  with  myself. 

After  making  a  moderate  catch  1  was  about  to  give  up  fishing  for  the 
day,  when  a  strange  fish  took  my  bait,  and  upon  attempting  to  remove  it 
from  the  hook  I  received  a  shock  which  convinced  me  that  I  had  captin-ed 
an  electric  eel,  or  more  correctly,  perhaps,  an  electric  eel  had  captured  me. 
The  violence  of  the  electric  shock  nearly  prostrated  me,  but  I  recovered 
sufficiently  to  remove  the  eel  from  the  hook,  using  a  pair  of  gloves  in  doing 
so.  The  fish  seemed  to  be  very  intelligent,  and  I  placed  it  in  a  pail  of 
water,  and  carefully  took  the  specimen  home  alive. 

While  a  medical  student  I  always  had  great  faith  in  electricity,  where 
properly  administered,  and  here  was  an  opportunity  to  make  use  of  the 
magnetic  current  from  a  natural  source.  My  first  study  was  to  com- 
pletely domesticate  and  educate  the  electric  eel.  Within  a  short  time  the 
eel,  which  I  kept  in  a  small  tank,  would  come  to  me  in  response  to  a  beck- 
oning call,  and  by  degrees  I  learned  him  to  control  the  electrical  power 
which  he  would  communicate  to  me,  or  through  the  medium  of  a  wire,  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  of  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  him.  I  now 
began  advertising  my  electrical  cure  for  various  diseases,  and  with  the 
eel  concealed,  yet  under  perfect  control,  I  performed  some  almost  mar- 
velous cures,  establishing  my  reputation  throughout  the  United  States. 
The  power  of  the  fish  in  this  direction  developed  wonderfully  with  prac- 
tice, and  by  the  aid  of  a  few  assistants  and  a  simple  system,  I  have  treated 
no  less  than  one  hundred  patients  at  one  time,  the  sole  source  of  electric- 
ity being  my  electric  eel. 

At  one  time  when  the  electric  light  plant  of  our  city  failed  tempora- 
rily, I  offered  my  assistance,  and  for  two  nights  supplied  a  brilliant  light 
to  all  portions  of  the  city,  but  this  proved  to  be  a  severe  strain  upon  my 
eel,  and  I  would  not  repeat  the  experiment  for  love  or  money,  as  I  value 
the  health  of  my  medical  assistant  too  highly. 


Many  of  my  brother  anglers  have  marveled  at  my  success  in  fishing, 
but  the  secret,  which  I  have  never  before  revealed,  is  simple.  Within  the 
butt  of  my  fishing  rod  is  a  commodious  cavity,  extending  nearly  the 
w^hole  length,  giving  room  for  my  electric  eel,  w^here  he  rests  comfortably, 
covered  with  a  thin  laver  of  moss,  which  I  keep  constantly  moistened.  In- 
stead of  an  ordinary  silk  or  linen  line,  I  use  a  minute  and  almost  invisible 
wire.  This  is  conducted  through  the  rings  into  the  butt  of  the  rod,  and  a 
small  electrical  bell  tinkles  within  whenever  a  fish  strikes  the  hook.  My 
electric  eel  immediately  seizes  the  end  of  the  wire,  and  the  electric  shock 
invariably  causes  the  fish  to  make  a  convulsive  leap  out  of  the  water,  after 
which,  by  regulating  the  current,  I  can  have  several  minutes  exciting 
sport,  if  desired  ;  or  where  the  fish  is  an  extremely  large  one,  a  concen- 
trated shock  will  deprive  him  of  power  at  once,  and  make  him  an  easy 
victim.  I  use  the  same  tackle  whether  fishing  for  black  bass,  salmon,  or 
tarpon,  and  my  friends  have  been  astounded  to  find  such  large  fish  could 
be  caught  upon  such  a  delicate  line  and  light  rod. 

On  one  occasion  I  caught  a  shark  weighing  perhaps  a  thousand 
pounds  with  less  effort  than  it  would  require  for  an  ordinary  angler  to 
land  a  two-pound  trout.  I  would  not  hesitate,  if  I  were  a  betting  man,  to 
wager  one  thousand  dollars  that  I  could  land  a  whale  easily  with  my 
electrical  fishing  apparatus,  though  of  late  I  am  very  careful  to  avoid  test- 
ing the  full  powers  of  my  faithful  accomplice  in  the  angling  art. 


THE    SYMPATHETIC    SAWFISH. 

The  shark  has  an  evil  reputation  in  all  parts  -oflh^worid,  j^mm-ked 
Mr.  C.  F.  David,  the  Boston  "  attorney  at  advertisirtg/^^^^^'^^*^'^  ^  very 
grateful  recollection  of  a  service  done  me  by  the 
sawfish,  which  is  a  sort  of  cousin  of  the  shark 
family.  While  prospecting  for  pearls  and 
coral,  many  j-ears  ago,  I  was  suddenly  caught 
by  a  large  devilfish,  and  would  have  been 
killed  undoubtedly  if  I  had  not  been  liberated  by  The  savvlTsTv.  "  This 
fish  seeing  my  critical  situation,  immediately  attacked  the  devilfish, 
sawing  off  every  arm  of  the  sea  monster,  and  allowing  me  to  reach  the 
surface,  nearly  dead.  In  fact  I  was  so  severely  injured  that  I  could  not 
swim,  and  the  sawfish  rose  underneath  me  and  carried  tpe  ashore  on  his 
back  in  a  very  gentle  manner.  I  have  never  been  fully  convinced  whether 
this  action  was  mainly  out  of  sympathy  for  me,  or  to  spite  the  devilfish, 
which  is,  no  doubt,  a  natural  enemy  of  the  sawfish. 


69 


AN    ENCOUNTER    WITH    A  SHARK. 

That  puts  me  in  mind  of  an  adventure  I  had  some  years  ago  off  the 
Fhorida  coast,  remarked  Wm.  Hill,  the  watch  man  at  Chicago,  who  "pays 
the  express."  My  principal  object  in  visiting  Florida  was  to  enjoy  the  tar- 
pon fishing,  but  incidentally  I  found  much  excitement  in  another  direction. 
Sharks  were  exceedingly  plentiful,  and  I  finally  concluded  to  vary  the  rec- 
reation of  tarpon  fishing  with  a  cruise  after  these  cruel  sea  pirates.  Pro- 
vided with  strong  tackle  and  a  capable  boatman,  I  anchored  my  skiff  near 
the  inlet  where  quite  a  number  of  sharks  could  be  seen  daily,  frisking  about 
in  the  surf,  ready  to  battle  with  man  or  fish.  My  previous  experience  had 
especially  fitted  me  for  an  encounter  of  this  kind.  During  fifteen  years  of 
my  life  I  had  been  an  active  speculator,  and  was  thus  brought  into  daily 
contact  with  the  worst  variety  of  land  sharks,  and  I  knew  the  sea  sharks 
could  not  equal  them  in  craft  or  cruelty.  In  my  experience  with  land 
sharks  it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  one  of  them  swallow  a  whole 
railway  line  and  a  million  acre  land  grant  without  change  of  countenance. 

But  to  return  to  my  story.  After  catching  a  few  comparatively  small 
specimens  I  was  beginning  to  long  for  something  more  exciting,  when  sud- 
denly a  monster  shark  was  seen  a  short  distance  away,  apparently  in  just 
the  mood  for  war.  He  swallowed  the  bait,  and  the  strong  line  went  spin- 
ning into  the  depths  with  a  rapidity  which  could  not  be  checked.  This 
could  not  last  long.  The  line  had  nearly  run  off  the  windlass,  which  served 
the  purpose  of  a  reel,  at  the  end  of  the  boat.  It  finally  broke  off  short, 
capsizing  the  boat  and  throwing  myself  and  assistant  into  the  water.  I  at 
once  seized  the  vanishnig  end  of  the  rope,  and,  strange  as  it  may  appear, 
swam  to  the  shore,  drawing  the  shark  after  me  and  landed  him  safely  on 
the  beach,  where,  upon  measurement,  he  was  found  to  be  twenty  feet  in 
length.  Since  that  time  I  have  never  been  afraid  to  cope,  single-handed, 
with  the  largest  of  the  species  to  be  found  in  the  ocean,  but  have  found 
the  land  sharks  more  difficult  and  dangerous  to  handle. 


A  RARE    CATCH. 

"  Well,"  remarked  Mr.  Draper,  of  Geo.  P.  Rowell's  Agency,  "  Mr. 
Fred  Ringer,  of  our  agency,  and  I  took  a  day  off  last  season  and  went 
down  to  Geneva  lake  for  a  quiet  fish.  We  obtained  a  boat  and  rowed  out 
to  the  middle  of  the  lake  and  made  ready  for  business.  Putting  on  a  live 
frog  Mr.  Ringer  made  one  of  his  famous  long  distance  casts.     A  gull  see- 


ing  the  flying  bait  made  a  swoop  for  it  and  sailed  away.  Mr.  Ringer  saw 
five  hundred  feet  of  mist-colored  silk  line  reeled  away  into  the  heavens  in 
a  most  amazing  manner  in  the  wake  of  a  pair  of  broad  white  wings  that 
flashed  in  the  sun. 

"  What  on  earth  have  you  caught?  "  I  cried  to  mv  friend. 

"  Blamed  if  I  know,"  was  the  qiuet  reply,  as  the  whizzing  reel  spun 
round,  "but  I  think  I  have  got  a  cherubim !  " 

A  RAILWAY  FISHING    LINE. 

Perhaps  you  never  heard  how  our  railway  obtained  the 
name  of  the  fishing  line,  said  Mr.  F.  H.  Miller,  of  the  C. 
M.  &  St.  P.  R.  R.,  Chicago.  It  happened  in  this  way: 
"  One  of  the  officers  of  the  road,  accompanied  by  a  friend, 
went  up  to  a  favorite  lake  on  a  fishing  trip  several  years 
ago.  They  were  fishing  for  black  bass  and  mascalonge.  Each  one 
caught  a  large  number  of  black  bass,  and  several  mascalonge  of  fair  size, 
but  this  did  not  satisfy  them.  They  \vished  to  bring  home  one  of  the 
large  specimens  known  to  inhabit  the  lake,  as  a  well-mounted  mascalonge 
in  a  street  window  is  the  best  kind  of  advertising  for  any  railwa}'^  line  desir- 
ing the  patronage  of  anglers.  I  should  have  explained  that  our  line,  at  the 
point  referred  to,  runs  along  near  the  border  of  the  lake  for  some  distance, 
and  then  turns  at  an  angle  into  the  wilderness. 

One  morning  Mr.  B and  his  friend  started  out  on  a  hand  car  from 

a  little  way  station,  inteixling  to  take  a  fishing  boat  upon  arriving  at  the 
lake  to  enjoy  a  few  hours  sport  among  the  mascalonge.  Just  for  amuse- 
ment Mr.  B threw  out  the  trolling  spoon  and  perhaps  twenty  yards  of 

line,  as  the  hand  car  drew  close  to  the  lake.  The  artificial  bait  began  spin- 
ning swiftly  through  the  water,  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  a 
huge  mascalonge  had  seized  the  lure.  The  fish  turned  in  its  course,  after 
running  out  in  the  lake  a  short  distance,  and  swam  along  parallel  with  the 
shore  at  marvelous  speed.  By  some  means  the  line  became  tangled  in  the 
handle  bar  of  the  hand  car,  and  the  mascalonge  led  the  anglers  a  race  along 
that  half-mile  course  that  would  put  to  shame  the  best  efforts  of  an  Amer- 
ican Derby  winner  at  Washington  Park.  The  water  frothed  and  foamed 
in  the  wake  of  the  fish,  and  the  hand  car  dashed  along  the  rails  like  a 
lightning  express  train.         ' 

When  the  point  was  reached  where  the  railway  line  diverged  from 
the  lake  shore,  it  was  expected  that  the  line  would  break,  but  its  strength 
proved  equal  to  the  emergency.  The  hand  car  was  running  at  the  rate  of 
a  mile  a  minute,  and  the  fish  was  drawn  ashore  before  it  had  time  to  use 
its  great  power  of  resistance.  The  mascalonge  was,  of  course,  not  familiar 
with  this  overland   trail  and   in  floundering   through  the  underbrush  and 

71 


/^ 


amQn<t   the   trees    the    se;il 
K»\vev  in  every^i 
^'elioii.     When,  the  J^:U)(,1  c^ 
''    was  stopped  a  ii|il't>^iile 
/^;^;m^&^df  thellsh  except  ]i 
/Bfervtd  iii'good  eoiulitiou. 

e^^trugfflcs  made  b\   llie 
,     iif-ney  throug^h  the  \vflderii1essy4t 
^  sa;ry  to  ,!?tate  that  the   ends 
-^tf^or  quite  a  distance,  and 
^^^^^[gh   lo    make    a    carload 
,^m"e' loan  +t£_along-   the  way. 
ture^^irl^Li^^iiles  our  railway 


A   NEW    FISHING    REEL 


Speaking  of  popular  fishing  resorts,  remarked  Mr.  T. 
G.  Wiles,  of  Kansas  City,  Mr.  C.  M.  Lucas,  my  partner  in 
the  Advertising  Agency  business,  and  I  once  conducted  a 
hotel  for  anglers  and  sportsmen  in  northern  Missouri.  Game 
was  abundant  in  that  vicinity,  and  several  species  of  game 
fish  could  be  found  in  the  lake  and  river  near  the  hotel.  The 
experienced  anglers  visiting  that  region  always  secured  large 
catches  of  fish,  but  frequently  some  ambitious  men  from  the 
cities,  having  no  knowledge  of  fish  and  fishing,  would  be  disappointed,  as 
their  efforts  in  the  way  of  angling  reminded  one  of  the  old  time  style  of 
flailing  on  a  threshing  floor.  This  of  course  frightened  away  the  black 
bass  and  other  game  fish,  so  we  were  obliged  to  invent  something  which 
would  secure  a  well-filled  creel  for  each  one,  as  we  could  not  afford  to  lose 
their  patronage. 

We  were  quite  expert  in  fly  fishing,  and  we  quietly  manufactured 
something  in  the  form  of  a  windmill,  and  attached  to  each  arm  of  this 
unique  fishing  machine  a  good  length  of  fine  line,  and  by  way  of  bait  would 
place  a  neat  artificial  fly  at  the  end  of  one  line,  a  grasshopper  upon  the  next, 
and  other  attractive  lures  upon  the  remaining  lines.  With  a  good  breeze 
the  fishing  apparatus  would  work  automatically,  and  everything  was  so 
adjusted  that  the  baits  would  fall  ujDon  the  water  as  light  as  a  thistle  down. 
When  there  was  no  breeze,  an  assistant  was  employed  to  run  this  fishing 
reel,  and  some  of  the  largest  catches  of  game  fish  in  that  region  were,  in 
this  way,  made  by  men  who  knew  nothing  about  practical  angling. 


72 


For  those  who  preferred  still  fishing,  we  had  another  system,  which 
worked  equall}^  as  well.  A  dozen  tame  ducks,  each  having  a  line  attached 
to  one  leg,  would  be  j^laced  in  the  water  at  some  suitable  point,  and  when 
a  fish  seized  the  hook  the  duck  would  swim  directly  for  the  boat.  Some- 
times the  struggle  would  be  a  severe  one,  but  with  the  aid  of  the  boatman 
the  duck  could  always  be  depended  upon  to  win.  Unfortunately,  we  never 
obtained  a  patent  on  either  process,  and  I  expect  it  has  been  adopted  by 
many  other  hotel  proprietors  throughout  the  country. 


FISHING    ON    A    FOG    BANK. 

Mr.  Frank  B.  Stevens,  of  Boston,  referring  to  a  peculiar  incident  in 
his  fishing  career,  said  :  My  favorite  branch  of  angling  has  been  that  of 
sea  fishing  along  the  Massachusetts  coast.  Striped  bass  fishing  and  blue 
fishing  furnish  excellent  recreation  for  me.  The  heavy  fogs  have  at  times 
interfered,  to  some  extent,  with  my  sport,  especially  when  out  a  short  dis- 
tance at  sea  m  a  light  skiff  or  sailing  boat.  However,  I  survived  the  dan- 
gers of  the  sea,  and  in  reality  the  greatest  peril  I  ever  encountered  was 
when  surf  fishing  for  striped  bass  and  casting  from  the  shore,  my  position 
being  upon  a  high  ledge  of  rocks.  The  fog,  which  was  almost  impen- 
etrable, had  crept  down  gradually  until  I  could  scarcely  see  the  curling 
waves  which  dashed  in  against  the  rocks  below  my  feet. 

I  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  locality  and  continued  the  sport,  but 
as  the  fog  grew  more  dense  I  shifted  my  position,  drawing  close  to  the 
edge  of  the  rocks,  the  ledge  seeming  to  extend  farther  into  the  surf  at  this 
point  than  I  had  formerly  supposed.  Working  my  way  gradually  for- 
ward and  keeping  close  to  the  extreme  edge,  I  finally  secured  a  strike, 
and  wa?  playing  my  fish  scientifically,  when  the  sun  shining  through  a 
rift  in  the  clouds  began  to  dispel  the  dense  fog.  As  the  fog  began  to 
disappear  over  the  bay  and  roll  inland,  I  was  astonished  and  alarmed  to 
find  that  in  my  eagerness  to  keep  close  to  the  edge  of  the  rocks  overlook- 
ing the  surf,  I  had  gone  entirely  beyond  the  rocky  cliff  and  was  standing 
upon  the  edge  of  the  fog  bank  nearly  a  hundred  yards  from  shore.  The 
waves  were  rolling  heavily  over  the  rocks  below,  and  it  was  only  by  the 
greatest  exertion  that  I  scrambled  back,  managing  to  keep  pace  with  the 
receding  fog  bank  until  I  i*eached  the  rocks  again.  I  lost  my  fish,  of 
course,  but  was  glajJ  to  escape  with  my  life. 


AN  O'ER  TRUE  TALE. 

There  is  something  truly  marvelous  in  the  '  moving  adventures  by 
flood  and  field,'  which  form  a  part  of  the  experience  of  ever}'  angler  and 
sportsman,  said  Mr.  Willard  Everett,  of  Hood's  Sarsaparilla  fame.  The 
public  seems  to  be  skeptical,  and  these  adventures,  especially  in  angling,  are 
looked  upon  as  fish  stories.  I  will  mention  a  little 
incident  which  once  occurred  to  me,  when  I  was 
fishing  up  in  Vermont,  where  game  and  fish  are 
very  plentiful.  I  was  floating  for  deer,  and  shot  at  a 
large  buck,  which  stood  in  the  edge  of  the  lake,  when 
a  monster  trout  sprang  into  the  air  between  myself 
and  the  deer,  and  the  bullet  passed  through  both. 
The  bullet  went  whizzing  on,  and  as  I  was  curious  to 
find  where  it  finally  struck,  I  diew  the  boat  ashore 
and  discovered  that  the  ball  had  entered  a  bee  tree, 
from  which  a  stream  of  pure  honey  was  flowing. 
Closing  the  bullet  hole  with  one  finger,  I  reached 
around  with  the  other  hand  to  find  something  to  stop 
the  flow  of  honey.  A  cub  bear,  attracted  by  the  scent  of  the  honey, 
was  just  approaching,  and  seized  my  hand,  biting  it  quite  savagely.  In 
my  excitement  I  caught  hold  of  the  cub  and  threw  it  backward  several 
yards,  breaking  its  neck  and  at  the  same  time  killing  three  partridges. 
On  returning  to  the  boat  and  looking  for  the  deer,  I  found  that  the  buck 
upon  being  shot  had  made  one  plunge  forward  into  deeper  water,  and  in 
doing  this  had  struck  five  large  trout,  which  were  impaled  upon  the  points 
of  his  antlers.  Although  I  had  started  out  for  a  hunting  trip,  it  resulted 
in  making  quite  a  successful  fishing  tour. 

A  FIGHT    BETWEEN    BULLHEADvS. 

Most  varieties  of  fish  seem  to  be  born  fighters,  with  the  nature  of 
cannibals,  remarked  Mr.  Marcus  Wight,  of  J.  C.  Ayer  &  Co.,  Lowell, 
Mass.  The  most  furious  fight  I  ever  observed  between  fish  was  on  the 
upper  Mississippi.  It  was  by  two  bullheads  of  large  size.  The  water  was 
quite  clear,  and  I  could  observe  every  movement  plainly.  Before  each 
attack  the  bullheads  would  rise  to  the  surface  and  utter  a  peculiar  bellow, 
and  then  rush  at  each  other  with  a  savage  fury,  shaking  their  horns  in  a 
manner  similar  to  that  of  their  bovine  kindred  on  land.  To  me  it  mat- 
tered little  which  of  the  bullheads  won  the  battle,  but  I  could  not  help  a 
feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  vanquished  fish,  after  seeing  him  thrust  and 
gored  almost  to  death  by  the  victor.  The  water  was  stained  with  blood 
for  some  distance  around,  and  the  sound  of  the  conflict  could  be  heard 
over  the  waters  for  many  miles. 

74 


FISHHAWK   VS.  FLYING    FISH. 

• 

The  tishhawk  is  a  most  inveterate  enemy  of  all  the  smaller  species  of 
fish,  and  it  is  seldom  that  any  inhabitant  of  the  water  can  hope  to  battle 
with  this  bird  with  any  expectation  of  success,  said  Mr.  Pettingill,  the 
Boston  Advertising  Agent.  However,  I  once  noticed  a  strife  between  a  fly- 
ing fish  and  fishhawk,  which  resulted  in  a  victory  for  the  former.  The 
fishhawk  had  pounced  down  on  the  flyingfish,  which  escaped  the  talons 
of  the  bird,  and  then  began  the  struggle  for  life.  Of  course  the  flvingfish 
might  have  avoided  the  battle  by  remaining  deep  in  the  water,  but  the 
unprovoked  attack  had  evidently  aroused  its  anger.  The  hawk  hovered 
close  over  the  water,  and  the  fish,  with  remarkable  agility,  would  fly  at  it 
from  beneath,  and  finally  it  struck  the  bird  in  the  middle  of  the  body,  pass- 
ing entirely  through,  and  killing  the  fishhawk  on  the  spot.  It  was  quite 
an  exciting  affair,  and  my  sympathies  were  with  the  flyingfish  from  the  first. 


NO    USE    FOR    THIS    COUNTRY. 

The  salmon  in  the  streams  in  Washington  and  Vancouver  will  not  rise 
to  a  fly  like  their  sportier  cousins  in  Maine,  said  Dr.  A.  H.  Haves,  of  Boston. 
When  the  boundaries  between  the  United  States  and  the  British  posses- 
sions were  being  surveyed.  Great  Britain  sent  a  Sir  W as  h^r  repre- 
sentative to  look  over   the  territory,  and  to  make  a  report  to  her  Majesty 

the  Queen.     Sir  W was  an  ardent  sportsman,  and   seeing  so   manv 

salmon  in  the  streams,  he  started  after  them  with  a  fly,  but  the  fish   came 
not  up  for  the  fly,  neither  did   they  bite  any  other  artificial   bait,  and    Sir 

W 's  opinion  of  the  country  was  expressed  in  his  official  report  to  the 

Queen,  as  follows  :     "  The  blooming  country  is  not  worth  a  d n,  the 

salmon  there  will  not  rise  to  a  flv." 


75 


BARTERING    WITH  A  JEWFISH. 

• 

Mr.  J.Walter  Thompson,  of  New  York,  told  an  incident  to  illustrate  the 
fact,  that  fish,  like  men,  have  their  strong  personal  traits.  He  said  :  "  Down 
in  the  South  the  jewfish  is  not  considered  worthy  of  special  note  or  atten- 
tion as  a  game  fish,  but  on  account  of  his  size  he  sometimes  furnishes  much 
excitement  for  fishermen.  The  jewfish  occasionally  attains  a  weight  of 
over  five  hundred  pounds,  and  as  it  has  great  strength,  will  frequently 
break  a  hook  large  enough  to  capture  a  shark.  The  jewfish  has  some- 
times been  called  a  giant  perch,  but  I  should  prefer  to  translate  his  name 
literally,  and  call  him  an  aquatic  Hebrew,  on  account  of  an  occurrence 
which  gave  evidence,  to  my  mind,  of  the  ability  of  the  fish  as  a  financier- 

I  had  visited  Florida  to  indulge  in  tarpon 
fishing,  and  had  bought  the  most  expensive  and 
elaborate  outfit  obtainable.  One  quiet  day,  while 
resting  at  ease  in  my  steam  yacht,  I  determined 
to  make  a  few  casts  from  the  boat,  more  for 
practice  than  from  any  expectation  of  securing  a 
tarpon  at  this  time,  as  it  was  not  a  favorable 
locality  for  fishing.  On  making  the  second  cast  a  monster  jewfish  took 
the  bait,  and  would  have  taken  the  line,  rod,  reel  and  all  thereunto  belong- 
ing, if  I  had  not  succeeded  in  making  a  compromise.  I  knew  that  I  could 
not  fight  successfully  against  the  giant  strength  of  the  jewfish,  and  by  a 
series  of  peculiar  movements  with  his  pectoral  fins  the  fish  conveyed  to 
me,  in  language  almost  as  intelligible  as  words  to  one  familiar  with  the 
gestures  of  clothing  dealers  on  Chatham  street,  that  he  would  deliver,  the 
goods  for  a  proper  consideration. 

I  was  not  in  a  mood  to  barter  with  the  aquatic  Hebrew,  but  under  the 
necessity  of  the  moment  concluded  it  advisable  to  make  a  deal.  Knowing 
the  intense  love  of  gold  on  the  part  of  both  the  land  and  water  species,  I 
asked  my  assistant  to  hold  up  to  the  jewfish  a  glass  aquarium  filled  with 
handsome  goldfish.  I  held  up  my  left  hand  with  three  fingers  extended, 
to  indicate  that  I  would  give  three  goldfish  to  recover  my  line  and  tackle. 
The  jewfish  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  shook  his  head  savagely  by  way 
of  refusal,  and  I  immediately  raised  my  bid  to  five,  which  was  also 
refused.  I  was  finally  obliged  to  give  that  jewfish  the  whole  job  lot  of  gokl- 
fish  to  obtain  my  tackle  again,  although  I  always  considered  it  an  unfair 
advantage  unworthy  of  any  except  a  salt-water  Shylock,  and  I  have  never 
associated  with  jewfish  from  that  day  to  this. 


76 


A  LIVE  ARTIFICIAL   FLY. 

Mr.  Wm.  Boyle,  the  "  Golden  Specific"  man,  of  Cincinnati,  referring 
to  scientific  fly  casting,  mentioned  the  following  incident  in  his  career:  I 
was  fishing  in  a  rocky  stream,  where  remarkable  skill  is  required  to  secure 
a  full  creel,  as  the  trout  were  educated,  so  to  speak,  to  avoid  the  ordinary 
wiles  of  the  angler.  On  the  occasion  alluded  to,  I  threw  a  fly  so  far  and 
so  delicately  that,  as  it  hovered  close  to  the  water,  it  took  life  and  was 
about  to  make  use  of  its  wings  to  soar  away,  vsrhen  a  huge  trout,  seeing  it 
rise  from  the  surface,  made  a  leap  and  turned  the  course  of  the  insect's 
travel  from  the  upper  air  to  the  bottom  of  his  throat.  It  is  generally 
known  that  natural  flies  originate  from  dead  matter,  and  I  had  always 
believed  it  possible  for  any  man  of  inventive  genius  to  transform  a 
handsome  artificial  fly  into  a  live  one,  so  my  experiment  simply  proved 
the  theory. 


ONE    SWALLOW  TOO    MANY. 

Speaking  of  live  bait,  said  Mr.  Chalmers,  of  the  National  Manufac- 
turing &  Importing  Co.,  Chicago,  I  had  an  amusing  experience  a  few 
years  ago  in  the  lake  region  of  Wisconsin.  I  was  fishing  for  black  bass, 
with  a  bait  rod,  and  having  good  sport,  when  suddenly  the  minnow  fell 
from  the  hook  just  as  I  was  making  a  cast.  As  the  minnow  fell  a  swallow 
darting  by  was  caught  on  the  hook,  and  dropped  struggling  to  the  water, 
where  it  was  seized  by  a  large  bass.  I  proceeded  to  reel  in  the  fish,  but 
an  instant  later  a  huge  mascalonge  swallowed  the  bass,  and  the  reel  sang  a 
livelier  tune  than  ever  before.  I  felt  doubtful  about  my  ability  to  land  the 
mascalonge,  but  by  careful  work  I  exhausted  the  fish,  and  in  about  twentj' 
minutes  had  the  satisfaction  9f  bringing  it  to  the  gaff  and  secured  it  in  good 
style.  As  a  singular  fact  I  observed  that  upon  taking  the  bass  from  the 
throat  of  the  mascalonge  and  loosening  the  hook,  the  swallow  was  found 
to  be  alive,  and  flew  away  as  soon  as  it  was  liberated.  I  always  regarded 
it  as  an  excellent  illustration  of  the  evil  of  taking  one  swallow  too  many — 
a  moral  which  amused  the  listeners  at  the  expense  of  the  narrator. 

77       ■ 


THE    PETRIFIED    ANGLER. 

While  attending  the  World's  Fair  last  summer,  I  observed  with 
much  interest  the  lifelike  figure  of  the  Ideal  Still  Fisher,  as  represented  in 
the  Government  Building,  said  Mr.  H.  B.  Humphrey,  of  Boston.  It 
eminded  me  very  forcibly  of  the  petrified  fisherman,  a  negro,  who  has 
l^en  sitting  from  time  immemorial  on  a  rock  beside  the  Emory  River. 
TFie  pose,  a  half  sleepy,  half  expectant  attitude,  is  perfect,  and  one  might 
imagine  this  solid  Muldoon  to  be  a  living  angler  in  a  somewhat  rocky 
dition.  The  story  in  brief  was  published  some  time  ago  in  the  Satur- 
day Blade^  I  believe,  and  I  understand  from  the  reporter  of  that  enterpris- 
ing paper  that  he  would  have  vouched  for  the  accuracy  of  the  tale  in 
every  particular,  but  for  the  fact  that  the  petrified  fisherman  refused  to  be 
interviewed,  and  would  not  give  an  afiidavit  as  to  his  identity.  Such  care 
is  vei'y  commendable,  but  rare  in  modern  journalism. 


ERSISTENT    BITER. 


The  homing  instinct  of  catfish  seems  to  be  equal  to  that  of  domestic 
cats,  remarked  Mr.  J.  R.  Griflfitts,  advertising  manager  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.  To  illustrate  this,  I  will  relate  a  little  anecdote.  I  was  fishing  in 
a  bend  of  the  Mississippi  River  for  pickerel,  knowing  that  several  large 
ones  inhabited  that  particular  pool.  By  some  peculiar  fatality  every  time 
I  cast  my  line  a  large  catfish  took  the  hook,  and  as  I  did  not  care  for  this 
species  of  fish  I  liberated  it  each  time  and  placed  it  farther  down  the 
stream,  trusting  that  it  would  not  trouble  me  again.  Finally  I  became 
angry  at  the  persistency  of  the  catfish,  and  cut  off  his  head,  throwing  both 
the  head  and  body  back  into  the  river. 

You  know  the  mouth  of  the  catfish  is  immense  in  the  fullest  sense  of 
the  word,  but  I  was  surprised  when  I  made  my  next  cast  to  find  that  this 
fish  had  swallowed  his  own  body,  which  passed  through  the  decapitated 
head  and  by  a  sort  of  natural  attachment  was  fastened  to  it  again,  and  the 
fish  took  my  bait  as  eagerly  as  before.  Seeing  that  the  fish  was  deter- 
mined to  eat  himself  out  of  house  and  home,  and  become  an  outcast,  I  cast 
him  out  on  the  bank  and  let  him  graze  on  the  shrubbery  until  I  completed 
my  fishing. 


k 


3^^ 


Did  you  ever  notice,  said  Mr.  George  G.  Parvin,  of  Cincinnati,  the 
methodical  habits  of  the  various  species  of  fish.  It  is,  no  doubt,  on  ac- 
count of  their  systematic  habits  and  custom  that  fish  usually  go  in  schools, 
where  they  receive  their  education,  fitting  them  for  their  respective  w^dlks 
or  swims  in  life.  I  once  noticed  down  at  the  inlet  of  Indian  River,  in 
Florida,  where  the  tide-water  from  the  oceaii  mingles  with  the  fresh 
waters  of  the  stream,  a  wonderful  congregation  of  fishes  of  all  varieties. 
Thev  were  leaping  about  in  play,  and  over  the  waves  I  could  hear  the 
sounds  of  the  fish  language  in  all  their  dialects. 

There  was  the  muffled  drumming  of  the  drumfish,  the  bellowing  of 
the  buffalofish,  the  satisfied  grunting  of  the  hogfish,  the  neighing  of  the 
redhorse,  the  barking  of  the  dogfish,  the  caterwauling  of  the  catfish, 
and  the  bleating  of  the  sheepshead,  mingled  with  other  sounds  too  numer- 
ous to  mention. 

I  observed,  too,  the  characteristic  movements  of  each  species :  the 
floundering  of  the  flounders,  the  soldier-like  pace  of  the  sergeant  fish,  the 
dainty  walk  of  the  lady  fish,  and  the  peculiar  grouping  of  the  groupers; 
but  what  interested  me  most  was  the  grand  review  which  took  place  just 
before  the  fish  party  broke  up.  The  swordfish  brandished  his  sword  and 
led  the  way,  while  the  sawfish  saw  that  the  drill  was  properly  conducted. 
The  kingfish,  upon  a  coral  reef,  reviewed  the  procession.  The  National 
colors  were  borne  by  the  red  grouper,  the  whitefish  and  the  bluefish,  and 
the  music  was  furnished  by  the  black  drum. 

The  weakfish  was  assisted  by  the  rockfish,  and  in  regular  order  fol- 
lowed the  shad,  in  his  shadow,  the  pickerel  with  a  pick,  the  pike-perch  with 
his  pike,  the  skip- jack  skipping  along,  the  carping  sea-carp,  the  rock  bass 
looking  rocky,  the  straw  bass  carrying  straw,  the  calico  bass  in  a  calico  garb, 
the  sunfish  with  its  attendant  shiners,  the  star  fishes;  the  moon-eye,  looking 
moon-struck ;  the  lake  lawyers  and  their  twin  pettifoggers,  the  bill  fish,  pre- 
senting their  bills;  the  shovel-nose  sturgeon,  shoveling  his  way;  the  horned 
chub  shaking  his  horns,  and  many  other  kinds  of  fish,  each  in  its  proper 
place,  in  the  unique  procession.  It  seemed  like  a  sort  of  watery  congress 
of  all  nations — a  marine  Midway  Plaisance,  with  all  the  finny  features 
imaginable.     A  greater  variety  of  scaly  customers  I  never  saw. 


BROADSWORD    FIGHT  WITH  A  SWORDFISH. 

My  skill  with  the  sword  once  saved  my  life,  said  Mr.  L.  S.  Allen,  of  the 
B.  &  O.  R.  R.  It  happened  in  this  way.  Soon  after  graduating  with 
honoi-s  at  West  Point,  I  was  taking  a  cruise  at  sea,  and  frequently  whded 
away  mv  time  by  practicing  the  broadsword  exercise  with  one  of  the 
officers  on  the  vessel,  who  was  quite  an  expert  in  the  art.  We  wei-e  prac- 
ticing one  day,  when  by  an  unlucky  stumble,  I  fell  overboard,  still  retain- 
ing the  swoi'd  in  my  hand.  Upon  rising  to  the  surface  the  first  thing  that 
met  my  gaze  was  a  swordfish  not  ten  feet  away,  making  directly  at  me. 
My  presence  of  mind  did  not  desert  me,  for  although  I  was  entirely  out  of 
my  element  and  the  swordfish  had  the  advantage  in  this  respect,  I  realized 
that  coolness  might  save   my  life. 

The  fight  was,  beyond  doubt,  the  most  peculiar  one  ever  fought  with 
swords.  My  adversary  was  no  novice  in  the  science,  and  the  vigor  of  his 
direct  thrusts  was  something  terrific.  I  escaped  injury  as  much  by  my 
agility  as  by  my  skill  in  warding  off  his  attacks.  After  receiving  a  flesh 
w^ound  and  in  return  gouging  out  an  eye  of  my  antagonist,  the  battle 
became  fast  and  furious.  At  last  I  succeeded  in  blinding  the  remaining  eye 
of  m}'^  enemy,  and  then  I  had  him  at  my  mercy.  With  one  fierce  stroke  I 
disarmed  him,  or  in  other  words  severed  the  sword  from  his  vicious  look- 
ing head,  and  catching  it  as  it  was  sinking,  threw  it  on  board  the  ship. 

My'victory  seemed  to  give  me  new  strength  and  courage.  Seizing 
the  now  defenseless  swordfish  by  one  of  his  fins  I  swam  easily  to  the  side  of 
the  ship,  and  when  a  rope  was  lowered  drew  him  up  with  me  to  the  deck. 
I  still  possess  his  sword  as  a  relic,  and  at  the  time  was  warmly  congratu- 
lated for  my  combined  skill  and  strength.  The  swordfish  was  weighed 
soon  after  I  carried  him  on  deck  and  was  found  to  tip  the  beam  at  two 
thousand  pounds. 


80 


A  PATRIOTIC    SPECIES    OF    GRAYLING. 

Over  in  Michigan,  said  Mr.  Charles  H.  Fuller,  the  Chicago  Adver- 
tising Agent,  the  principal  game  fish,  or  at  least  the  most  beautiful,  is  the 
gravling.  You  know  the  scientific  name  of  this  fish  is  Thymallus 
Tricolor^  the  latter  having  reference  to  the  three  beautiful  colors  with 
which  it  is  adorned.  For  many  years  past  I  have  taken  great  pleasure 
in  grayling  fishing,  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  by  systematic  breeding 
the  coloration  of  the  fish  could  be  controlled  and  modified,  to  a  certain 
extent,  thus  making  a  distinct  branch  of  the  species,  peculiarh'  American. 

With  this  idea  in  my  mind,  I  began  a  systematic  and  elaborate  system 
of  fish  culture,  selecting  the  best  specimens,  and  by  a  method  originating 
in  my  own  brain,  I  finally  succeeded  in  producing  a  beautiful  combination 
of  colors.  The  dorsal  fin  of  the  graj'ling  is  its  chief  mark  of  beauty, 
rising  to  a  height  of  perhaps  three  inches,  extending  along  the  back  nearly 
half  the  length  of  the  fish,  and  waving  in  the  clear  water  like  a  beautiful 
banner,  with  rainbow  tints.  In  the  arrangement  of  colors  I  have  secured 
a  blending  in  regular  order  of  the  red,  white  and  blue,  and  at  the  lower  half 
of  the  fin,  close  to  the  back,  my  new  species  shows  the  stars  in  perfect 
arrangement,  after  the  style  of  the  American  flag. 

Having  accomplished  this,  I  determined  to  train  the  fish  and  put  them 
to  practical  use.  Through  careful  breeding  I  have  succeeded  in  obtaining 
quite  a  number  of  grayling  in  which  the  pectoral  fins  and  the  caudal  fin,  or 
tail,  were  abnormally  developed.  By  proper  encouragement  the  fish  soon 
learned  to  take  prodigious  leaps  from  the  water,  and  finally  developed  into 
a  distinct  variety  of  flying  fish.  They  are  also  sensible  to  the  charms  of 
music,  and  now  it  is  my  custom  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  on  Inaugural  Day, 
and  every  other  patriotic  occasion,  to  call  the  fish  from  the  water,  bv  the 
aid  of  a  band  playing  the  inspiring  air  of  the  "  Star  Spangled  Banner," 
to  which  tune  my  educated  grayling  keep  perfect  time,  and  flv  over  the 
lawn  in  battalions  to   the   admiration  of  all  obser\  ers. 


f^ff^mt 


A  TOOTH    FOR  A  TOOTH. 


That  reminds  me,  said   Mr.  W.  B.  Duffy,  the   Malt  Whisky  man,  of 
an  adventure  I  had  once  upon  a  time  off  the  shores  of  Staten  Island.     This 
was  my  favorite  resort  for  striped  bass  fishing,  and  many  a  big  one  have  I 
.*4>      — ^  .  caught  theie    in    former    days.     One    afternoon    I   had 

exceptionally  good  luck,  catching  several  bass  of  fair 
size,  and  after  sunset,  as  I  stood  on  a  projecting  rock 
watching  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  water,  and  listening  to 
what  the  wild  waves  were  saying,  a  strange  melody  was 
borne  to  my  ears.  It  was  soft  and  plaintive,  with  a 
peculiar  tone  like  that  of  an  aeolian  harp,  and  one  could 
almost  imagine  mingled  with  it  a  subdued  siren  song, 
which  seemed  to  come  out  of  the  depths  of  the  ocean. 
The  words  could  not  be  distinguished,  but  the  melody 
was  most  beautiful.  Finally  it  died  away,  and  I  deter- 
mined to  make  one  more  cast  and  then  return  to  the 
city   "by  moonlight  alone,"  in  mv  sail  boat. 

At  this  time  I  was  using  mossbinikers  for  bait,  and 
.  making  a  long  cast  beyond  the  rocks  was  rewarded  by 
a  vigorous  strike,  but  the  subsequent  play  was  unlike 
anything  I  had  ever  experienced.  There  was  a  down- 
ward rush,  followed  by  a  rise  to  the  surface,  and  a  fierce 
splashing,  and  something  like  a  low  moan  came  to  my 
^        .  ^  ,  ,  ears,  while  a  pale  face  seemed  to  appear  above  the  waves, 

WILL  ^/\Cf^  iVfy  H'P,,'/'    weird    and    ghost-like.     As  this    apparition    sank   from 
/    lli/%^^^      sight    the    struggle    was   renewed,  and    with    my  heart 
beating  like  a  trip  hammer,  I  strained  the  rod   and  line 
until  at  length  the  spectre,  for  thus  it  seemed  to  be,  reappeared  close  to  the 
rock  on  which  I  stood. 

I  staggered  and  fell,  knocking  out  one  of  my  teeth  on  a  projecting  crag, 
and  at  the  same  instant  the  hook  was  torn  loose,  and  the  mermaid,  as  T  now 
discovered  it  to  be,  splashed  back  into  the  waves  and  disappeared.  On  the 
flat  rock  where  the  hook  fell  was  the  only  memento  of  my  strange  fishing 
contest,  a  pearly  white  tooth,  which  I  have  had  carefully  polished  and 
formed  into  the  scarf  pin  that  has  so  often  excited  the  curiosity  and 
admiration  of  my  friends. 


CHASED  BY   TIPSY    FISH. 


The  railway  men  of  the  Northwest  give  glowing  accounts  hi  the 
superb  fishing  in  that  section,  but  you  should  participate  in  the  fishing  to 
be  had  in   the   South  to  know  the  pleasures  of  genuine   angling,  said  Mr. 

82 


F.  P.  Reed,  of  theMonon  Route.  It  is  the  custom  among  certain  planters 
down  in  Alabama,  and  on  the  Gulf  coast,  to  bait  deep  holes  and  attract 
immense  numbers  of  game  fish,  which  are  then  caught  bv  set  lines.  Angle 
worms  are  often  used,  but  Mr.  Moonshine,  who  runs  an  illicit  distillery 
down  there,  gathered  a  lai*ge  quantity  of  the  small  spiral  still- worms,  and 
scattered  them  broadcast  in  the  river  near  his  home.  With  the  worms  was 
quite  a  quantity  of  worked-out  mash  from  the  distillery. 

The  next  morning  on  visiting  the  place,  he  found  the  river  in  terrible 
commotion.  A  desperate,  half-drunken  conflict  was  going  on  between  the 
catfish,  eels,  pike,  sharks  and  almost  every  other  variety  of  fish  known  to 
these  w^aters.  Mr.  Moonshine  fired  several  shots  into  the  thickest  of  the  f raj, 
when  he  Avas  instantlv  attacked  by  the  catfish,  gars  and  other  vicious  fish, 
and  chased  across  the  swamp  to  his  own  gate.  The  fright  and  nervous 
shock  so  prostrated  him  that  he  made  application  for  a  pass  to  Wisconsin 
or  to  ^lichigan,  or  to  any  northern  state,  where  he  could  recuperate  and 
be  free  from  the  voracious  attacks  of  fish. 

I  have  heard  that  northern  railway  officials,  jealous  of  our  reputation 
for  unequaled  fishing  resorts,  claimed  that  the  man  was  chased  by  revenue 
officers  instead  of  fish,  but  the  plain,  unvarnished  tale  as  it  was  told  to  me 
by  the  planter  was  worth  all  the  transportation  we  gave  him. 


SCIENTIFIC    CAT    FISHING. 


Did  you  ever  see  a  cat  fish?  inquired  Mr.  Grover  Cleveland, 
of  Washington,  D.  C.  I  do  not  mean  the  ordinary  catfish  of 
the  waters,  but  a, cat  that  will  catch  fish.  Some  3-ears  ago  I  was 
the  proud  possessor  of  a  cat  that  supplied  the  family  table  with 
trout,  black  bass,  and  other  game  fish,  during  the  proper  season. 
~^~  This  cat  took  to  fishing  as   naturall}-  as  a  duck  takes  to  water. 

Just  at  dusk  our  fishing  cat  would  go  down  to  the  river,  and  after  first  cap- 


»3 


turing  a  grasshopper  would  carefully  crawl  out  on  a  half  submerged  log, 
and  throw  the  bait  perhaps  two  feet  up  stream.  If  a  fish  rose  the  cat 
would  immediately  seize  it,  using  his  strong  talons  after  the  style  of  the 
famous  eagle-claw,  which  was  used  so  successfully  for  fishing  in  years 
gone  by. 

The  cat  seldom  failed  to  retain  his  hold  on  a  fish,  and  would  drag  it 
along  over  the  water  to  the  shore  in  quite  a  scientific  manner.  After  hav- 
ing the  benefit  of  two  years'  experience,  the  cat  learned  to  select  the  best 
natural  bait,  sometimes  using  frogs,  and  at  other  times  grasshoppers  or 
large  houseflies,  and  I  have  always  regarded  the  sagacity  and  skill  of  that 
feline  angler  with  much  admiration.  I  could  never  make  the  cat  fish  for 
catfish,  but  he  was  a  keen  angler  for  game  fish. 


,tl 


0« 


J 


f^ 


A 


^ 


HUNT/NS  . 


A  GRIZZLY 

COMBAT 


'^^^^^ 


"  Tiic  yarns  ti^K  the  hunters  were  spinning, 

"T?-    While  the  anglers  were  spinning  their  reels, 

^"Could  not  be, considered  as  sinning, 

Though  they  lacked  the  magistrates'  seals." 


Speaking  of  athletic  feats,  said  Mr.  Ensign,  of  the  National  Adver- 
tising Agency,  New  York,  I  recall  a  little  incident  that  occurred  during 
my  hunting  experience  in  the  Wild  West.  I  was  after  grizzlies,  and  ordi- 
narily had  both  my  wits  and  mj-  weapons  about  me,  but  this  time,  by 
singular  neglect,  I  started  a  short  distance  from  the  spot  where  my  rifle 
and  hunting  knife  had  been  laid,  and  approaching  a  thicket  was  confronted 
by  the  largest  grizzly  bear  it  was  ever  my  good  fortune  to  meet.  I  had 
neither  time  nor  inclination  to  run,  as  my  coolness,  courage  and  strength 
were  such  that  I  felt  myself  the  equal  of  any  wild  beast  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains.  The  bear  made  a  savage  stroke  at  me  with  his  paw, 
but  only  succeeded  in  knocking  off  my  hat,  whereupon  he  performed  the 
scalp  dance  in  a  somewhat  amusing  manner,  imagining,  perhaps,  that  he 
had  removed  the  upper  section  of  my  skull. 

The  battle  which  ensued  was  more  exciting  than  any  in  which  the 
celebrated  "  Grizzly  Adams "  ever  participated.  Having  no  weapons 
except  those  with  which  nature  had  provided  me,  I  was  at  a  disadvantage 
in  regard  to  size  and  strength,  but  equalized  matters  by  my  activity  and 
science.  The  bear  evidently  desired  a  contest  of  the  "  catch-as-catch-can  " 
order,  but  I  would  not  accommodate  him.  I  parried  and  cleverly  avoided 
every  rush  and  stroke,  and  in  turn  dealt  old  Ephraim  a  number  of  fierce 
blows  over  the  heart  w^hich  staggered  him,  and  finalh*  killed  the  monster 
by  a  fierce  upper  cut,  which  broke  his  jaw  and  dislocated 
his  neck.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  escaped  without  a  scratch, 
though  somewhat  exhausted,  aiid  had  the  battle  continued 
much  longer,  I  really  believe  I  might  have  been  slightly  injured. 
The  bear's  head  has  been  tastefully  mounted,  and  adorns  a  shield 
at  mv  home,  as  proof  of  the  accuracv  of  my  storv. 

8s 


TALE  OF  A  TIGER. 

Tiger  hunting  is  very  dangerous  sport,  remarked  Mr.  John  J.  Byrne, 
of  the  Sante  Fe  Road,  in  his  usual  quiet  and  unassuming  manner.  Some 
ten  years  ago,  while  hunting  in  India,  I  had  an  experience  which  was  more 
thrilling  than  usual.  I  had  left  my  rifle  in  camp  and  started  for  a  spring 
near  at  hand,  when  suddenly  an  immense  tiger  sprang  at  me,  and  I  avoided 
him  only  by  my  remarkable  activity.  I  was  not  at  all  frightened,  and  on 
the  contrary,  was  very  angry  both  at  the  audacity  of  the  tiger,  and  at  my 
own  neglect  in  failing  to  carry  my  rifle. 

As  I  could  not  fight  his  Royal  Bengal  Highness  single-handed,  there 
was  nothing  to  do  but  to  run,  and  I  flatter  myself  there  was  an  exhibition 
of  speed  which  has  not  been  equalled  before  or  since  by  any  professional 
athlete.  At  his  first  leap,  the  tiger  barely  missed  me,  tearing  a  fragment 
from  my  hunting  coat.  We  were  so  evenly  matched  in  speed  that  at  every 
step  I  made  down  the  trail  through  the  jungle  the  tiger  dropped  in  my 
footsteps,  scratching  my  hunting  boots  at  each  bound.  This  race  was 
continued  for  ten  miles  without  any  advantage  being  gained  on  either  side, 
and  I  finally  escaped  by  leaping  a  chasm  too  broad  for  the  tiger  to  follow. 

My  anger  and  excitement  by  this  time  were  at  the  boiling  point,  and 
the  effect  was  to  change  the  color  of  my  hair  from  raven  blackness  to  a 
fiery  red,  which  color  it  remained  for  three  years.  I  still  keep  the  hunting 
boots,  and  can  prove  the  truth  of  my  story  by  the  marks  of  the  tiger's 
claws.  ^  / 


FANCY  SHOOTING. 

My  modesty  alone  has  prevented  me  taking  championship  honors  in 
the  way  of  fancy  shooting,  both  with  rifle  and  shot  gun,  said  Mr.  Geo.  G. 
Pouring,  of  New  Haven.  As  proof  of  my  skill  with  these  weapons,  I 
will  mention  a  few  feats  which  I  frequently  perform  with  great  ease. 
One  of  my  favorite  recreations  is  duck  shooting  from  a  blind.  In  this 
sport  I  use  nothing  but  a  repeating  rifle,  and   always  shoot  the   incomers 

86 


with  such  precision  that  the  birds  fall  into  the  open  game  bag  at  my  side. 
I  invariably  shoot  the  birds  through  the  head,  and  on  one  occasion  brought 
down  five  in  succession  from  a  flock  passing  overhead,  much  to  the  sur- 
prise of  my  companion  as  he  saw  one  after  another  falling  into  the  game 
bag. 

Many  years  ago,  when  comparatively  a  novice,  I  used  the  shot  gun,  and 
by  a  peculiar  system  of  loading,  I  charged  the  shells  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  shot  instead  of  making  the  usual  pattern  would  fly  in  any  way 
I  desired.  For  instance,  in  wild-goose  shooting,  the  shot,  at  a  distance  of 
50  to  75  or  100  yards,  would  fly  in  the  form  of  a  V,  and  in  this 
manner  I  have  killed  a  dozen  wild  geese  at  one  time,  each  bird  being 
shot  through  the  head  by  a  single  pellet.  That  soon  became  tame 
sport,  however,  as  it  required  little  skill  except  in  loading,  and  I  now 
prefer  the  rifle  for  all  kinds  of  wing  shooting,  and  at  all  distances, 
even  up  to  half  a 
mile,  at  which  alti^ 
tude  I  have' frequently 

brought    down    small      '  >^  S^  z'  •  -f  -f^J  W/ 

birds  barely  visible  to 
the  naked  eve. 


-X  >^ 


■j?^' 
^y 


^'iinS^^ 


A    TERRIBLE    ENCOUNTER. 


While  voyaging  down  the  Mississippi  last  summer,  said  Mr.  Ben 
Jefferson,  of  Lyon  &  Healy,  Chicago,  I  had  a  rather  peculiar  adventure. 
I  had  camped  for  the  night  not  far  from  the  river,  and  lying  beside  the 
camp-fire  was  preparing  for  a  good  night's  rest.  Finally  a  strange  sensa- 
tion came  over  me,  as  of  some  threatening  danger,  and  an  instant  later  a 
terrible  screatn,'  evidently  from  a  panther,  sounded  in  my  ears.  The  mon- 
ster was  immediately  above  me,  judging  from  the  sound,  and  as  I  glanced 
upward  I  saw  his  eyes  blazing  like  balls  of  fire,  evidently  in  anticipation 
of  a  feast  upon  my  body.  I  seemed  powerless  to  move,  either  fascinated 
or  appalled  by  the  sight,  and  my  next  sensation  was  one  of  pain,  as  I  felt 
the  talons  of  the  beast  at  my  head  and  throat.  Exerting  every  energv,  I 
threw  the  monster  from  me,  and  as  I  did  so  another  fiendish  scream  rent 
the  air.  A  slight  explosion  followed  immediately  after,  and  I  saw,  as  I 
awoke  from  m}'  troubled  sleep,  that  a  spark  from  the  camp-fire  had  fallen 
into  a  percussion  cap  beneath  the  screech  owl,  which  I  had  thrown 
violently  from  its  perch  upon  my  head.  The  force  of  the  exploded  per- 
cussion cap  was  sufficient  to  kill  my  terrible  tormentor. 

87  ' 


ZIGZAG    RIFLE    SHOOTING. 

My  proficiency  in  billiard  playing  aided  me  wonderfully  in  mastering 
the  art  of  rifle  shooting,  said  the  quiet  man,  Mr.  Frank  Cheney,  of 
Toledo.  Not  the  mere  rudiments  of  the  art,  as  in  simply  hitting  the 
bull's-eye  at  a  reasonable  distance,  but  in  making  caroms,  so  to  speak.  I 
deem  it  very  easy  for  any  man  with  steady  nerves  and  a  clear  eye 
to  make  a  straight  score  with  a  rifle  at  a  thousand  yards 
distance,  and  therefore  I  determined  to  be  the  originator 
of  a  new  phase  of  rifle  practice. 

Beginning  by  the  simple  practice  of  "bark- 
ing" squirrels,  I  gradually  developed  in  skill  until 
I  could  hit  a  ten  cent  piece  a  hundred  yards  distant 
— not    aiming    at    the  mark,  but  at  a  hardwood 
tree  situated  at  right  angles  to  the  target.     The  bullet  woulSf" 
glance  from  this  to  the  edge  of   another  tree  and  so  on,  in  a 
semi-circle,   until    it   reached  the  desired  point.     Perhaps    the 
most  difficult  feat  is  to  make  the  bullet  take  a  zigzag  course, 
first  to  the  right,  and  then  to  the  left,  with  a  flight  as  irregu- 
lar as  a  rail  fence.     To  show  you  what  may  be   done  in  this 
way,  I  will  merely  say  that  I  once  killed  ten  blackbirds  at  one  rifle  shot, 
the    birds    being    diagonally    opposite,    on    both    sides    of    a    wood    road 
through  the  forest,  and  so  accurate  was  my  aim  and   estimate  that  with 
the  small  22  caliber  rifle  bullet  the  plumage  was  not  touched,  the  eyes 
only  being  shot  out. 


THE    LAST    BUFFALO    HUNT. 

Mr.  John  Jenkins,  of  Kansas  City,  who  had  been  softly  playing  a 
Harvard  guitar,  and  listening  to  the  stories,  put  in  his  lingual  oar  at  this 
juncture.  Some  ten  years  ago  important  business  took  me  to  the  North- 
west,  where  I  remained  several  months,  and  devoted  my  leisure  time  to 
field  sports.  Buffalo  were  then  abundant,  and  on  several  occasions  I  had 
good  sport  in  their  pursuit.  Finally  I  decided  upon  an  original  plan, 
principally  for  the  sake  of  novelty,  and  at  once  put  it  into  execution. 
Taking  the  entire  skin  of  a  freshly-killed  buffalo,  with  the  head  and  horns 
complete,  I  prepared  a  framework  in  the  department  of  the  interior  within 


88 


which  I  could  conceal  myself,  and  by  walking  upon  my  hands  and 
feet  closely  imitate  the  appearance  and  movements  of  the  bison. 

Noticing  a  large  herd  moving  toward  the  river,  one  fine  morn- 
ing, I  cai^ef  ully  approached,  having  previously  pi^epared  a  half  dozen 
revolvers  within  the  framework  of  my  dummy  buffalo,  the  muzzle 
of  each  revolver  just  penetrating  through  the  skin,  and  firmly 
fastened  inside,  with  strings  attached  to  the  triggers.  The  herd 
was  moving  quite  rapidl}'^,  and  I  stationed  myself  directl}^  in  their 
course,  intending  to  fire  a  broadside  and  stampede  the  animals.  At 
the  first  round,  however,  the  herd  instead  of  scattering  pressed  on 
more  swiftly  toward  the  river,  and  in  a  moment  I  found  myself  in 
the  center  of  a  vast  throng  of  maddened  animals,  parched  with  thirst 
and  eager  to  reach  the  water. 

Escape  ^vas  impossible  for  me,  but  fortunately  the  ranks 
pressed  so  closely  together  that  I  was  carried  along  by  the  force  of 
the  moving  body,  as  by  an  avalanche.  I  fired  several  f usilades  from 
the  revolvers  as  the  herd  shifted,  changing  my  position  toward  the 
rear,  as  the  infuriated  animals  crowded  past  me.  Apparently  the  shots 
were  without  effect.  To  my  horror,  I  soon  observed  that  the  course  of 
the  herd  diverted  from  their  original  course,  was  directl}'^  toward  an 
immense  cliff  overlooking  the  river,  but  I  was  unable  to  extricate  myself. 
The  strong  framework  about  me  prevented  instant  death  from  the  crush- 
ing force  on  either  side.  Within  a  moment,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  I  found 
myself  upon  the  verge  of  the  precipice,  and  was  forced  headlong  into  the 
stream  amid  the  falling  bodies  of  thousands  of  buffalo.  The  structure 
which  I  had  prepared  was  airtight,  except  the  apertures  I  had  made 
through  which  I  could  breathe ;  therefore,  while  the  animals  floundered 
and  many  of  them  were  drowned  in  the  stampede,  I  floated  down  the 
stream  and  over  the  falls  a  short  distance  below  the  cliff.  Drifting  near 
shore,  upon  a  sandbar,  I  was  enabled  to  drag  myself  upon  the  bank  where 
I  lay  for  a  short  time  exhausted. 

Upon  glancing  toward  the  river  I  saw  that  it  was  full  of  the  dead 
bodies  of  buffalo,  and  what  was  more  surprising,  all  of  my  shots  must  have 
taken  deadly  effect,  as  the  current  was  red  with  blood.  From  that  day  to 
this,  the  stream  has  been  knfown  as  the  Red  River  of  the  North,  and  the 
last  herd  of  buffalo  was  exterminated,  greatly  to  my  regret,  in  this  singular 
hunt  which  I  had  originated. 


89 


A  WONDERFUL    LIFE    PRESERVER. 

Hunters,  like  cats,  should  have  nine  lives  in  order  to  safely  undergo 
all  the  perils  of  out-door  adventure,  remarked  Mr.  Upton,  of  the  Oxford 
Manufacturing  Company,  Chicago.  This  idea  w^as  suggested  to  me  by 
the  fact  that  once  in  my  "checkered  career"  a  single  shot  from  my  rifle,  at 
a  critical  moment,  saved  my  life  at  least  five  times.  It  happened  in  this  way. 
I  was  standing  close  to  a  craggy  cliff,  in  a  fine  game  region,  with  my  rifle 
in  hand,  when  all  at  once  a  startled  elk,  running  along  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  bounded  almost  upon  me. 

To  avoid  being  trampled  on,  I  leaped  backward,  firing  the  rifle  at 
the  same  instant,  and  to  my  surprise,  as  I  fell,  I  heard  a  death  yell,  evi- 
dently from  an  Indian  some  distance  to  my  right.  At  the  same  instant  the 
ground  upon  which  I  had  just  stood  crumbled  and  fell,  opening  a  chasm 
at  least  a  hundred  feet  in  depth,  into  which  I  would  have  been  precipitated 
had  I  remained  there  an  instant  longer.  The  falling  of  this  section  of 
ground  loosened  a  huge  crag  directly  overhead,  which  dropped  with  terri- 
ble force  into  the  abyss,  so  that  if  I  had  by  any  chance  escaped  instant 
death,  I  would  have  been  crushed  by  the  descending  rock. 

The  elk,  as  I  afterward  found,  had  been  struck  by  the  bullet  at  the  top 
of  his  skull,  stunning  him,  and  as  he  fell  forward  his  antlers  pierced  a  large 
rattlesnake,  which  was  coiled  ready  to  spring  upon  me  at  the  point  where  I 
had  formerly  stood.  The  death-cry  which  I  heard  was  from  an  Indian  who 
had  "  drawn  a  bead  "  on  me,  and  would  doubtless  have  fired  a  fatal  shot 
had  it  not  been  for  my  bullet  which  glanced  from  the  head  of  the  elk  and 
struck  the  chief  directly  in  the  heart.  This  I  have  always  considered 
a  miraculous  escape,  and  a  hunting  adventure  somewhat  unique  in  character. 


AN    INSATIATE  ARCHER. 

My  favorite  amusement  is  archery,  in  fact,  my  friends  sometimes 
tell  me  that  I  "  draw  the  long  bow  "  too  often,  remarked  Mr.  Stanley  Day, 
of  New  Market,  N.J.  It  is  astonishing  to  note  the  skill  which  may  be 
attained  by  careful  practice  with  the  bow  and  arrow.  I  find  it  very  easy 
to  kill  birds  on  the  wing,  and  frequently  by  the  use  of  three  arrows  have 
killed  as  many  birds  at  one  time.  I  also  do  curved  shooting,  usin|^ 
generally  two  arrows;  each  of  the  arrows  has  a  curve,  and  will  turn  in  a 
half  circle,  one  to  the  right  and  the  other  to  the  left. 

I  have  become  quite  an  adept  in  this  style  of  shooting,  and 
can  hit  two  bull's-eyes,  each  one  hundred  yards  distant,  and  in 
exactly  opposite  directions.     This  would  seem  to  be  a  difficult  feat, 

90 


but  I  accomplish  the  act  by  standing  midway  between  the  two,  and  shoot- 
ing out  at  right  angles,  aiming  by  intuition,  and  seldom  fail  to  strike  the 
exact  center  of  each  target. 

Once  I  adjusted  the  two  arrows  so  carefully  that  in  making  a  new 
experiment  each  of  the  projectiles  in  its  flight  covered  a  complete  semi- 
circle, and  met  fifty  yards  behind  me,  the  steel  points  of  the  arrow 
heads  becoming  firmly  fastened  together.  This  I  consider  one  of  the 
most  difficult  and  scientific  performances  ever  recorded  in  the  line  of 
archery. 


W  JERSEY    SNIPE    SHOOTING. 


My  initiation  as  a  snipe  shooter  over  in  New  Jersey 
was  a  memorable  event  in  my  sporting  career,  soliloquized 
Senator  Cornish,  the  organ  manufacturer  of  Washington, 
New  Jersey,  who  seemed  to  be  communing  with  himself 
rather  than  speaking  to  the  club  members  in  the  room.  I 
was  fresh  from  the  prairies  of  the  West,  and  knew  nothing 
of  shore  or  sea  shooting  in  the  vicinity  of  Gotham.  One  of  my  new  found 
friends  informed  me,  confidentially,  that  the  summer  flight  of  snipe  was  at 
its  best  on  the  Jersey  marshes,  and  advised  me  to  take  a  day  off  to  try  the 
sport.  Accordingh-  I  boarded  an  early  train,  engaged  a  native  Jerseyman 
as  guide  and  companion,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  was  on  the  historic  snipe 
grounds  at  Pine  Brook,  made  famous  by  Frank  Forester. 

My  preconceived  notions  of  snipe  shooting  seemed  to  be  entirely 
wrong.  The  Jersey  birds  did  not  fl}'  up  and  away  in  a  zigzag  course, 
with  a  "  scaipe  ! "  "  scaipe  ! "  as  I  had  always  supposed  would  be  the  regu- 
lar order  of  things.  These  snipe  just  buzzed  up  around  and  toward  me 
from  every  direction,  and  my  breech-loader  was  kept  hot  by  the  repeated 
firing.  Never  since  the  celebrated  blaze  at  Barnegat  had  such  a  single- 
handed  fusilade  occuiTed  on  the  clinging  soil  of  New  Jersey.  I  killed  an 
immense  number  of  birds,  and  finally  stopped  after  exhausting  the  ammu- 
nition and  myself.  My  genial  guide  had  bagged  the  snipe,  and  he  laughed 
long  and  loud  as  he  retrieved  them  for  me,  and  witnessed  my  skill  as  a 
sportsman. 

Finally,  when  I  came'  to  examine  the  wonderful  bunch  of  birds  I 
found  it  had  shrunk  in  size,  and  consisted  mainly  of  gauzy  wings 
and  long  bills — in  fact,  Jersey  mosquitoes!  I  added  another  bill 
(denomination  V)  to  the  pile,  handed  it  to  my  companion, 
and  as  a  parting  act  of  politeness  gave  him  my  pocket  pistol^ 
heavily  charged  with  double-distilled  "Jersey  lightning." 


9» 


FISHING   SECTIONS. 


"The  North  for  gra_yling,  trout  and  bass, 
The  South  for  sea  fish,  and  for  tarpon ; 
The  East  for  salmon,  pike  and  bluefish. 
And  West  for  mountain  trout  to  harp    on." 


For  convenience  in  briefly  describing  the  spec 
angling  attractions  of  various  localities,  the  states  north 
of  the  Ohio  River  w^ill  be  included  in  the  Northern 
groujj,  those  lying  southward  of  that  stream  in  the 
Southern  section,  the  region  east  of  Ohio  will  be  con- 
sidered the  Eastern  division,  and  west  of  the 
headwaters  of  the  Missouri  the  Western  portion 

NORTHERN    STATES. 

The  grayling  fishing  of  Michigan,  as  enjoyed  on 
the  Au  Sable,  the  Hersey  and  Manistee  Rivers,  is  a 
branch  of  angling  not  to  be  had  elsewhere  in  any  por- 
tion of  the  United  States,  except  Montana.  Information 
with  regard  to  the  best  localities,  etc.,  may  be  obtained 
by  addressing  Mr.  Chas.  S.  Hampton,  Petoskey,  Mich. 

For  brook-trout  fishing,  Wisconsin,  Michigan  and 
Mmnesota  are  the  principal  states  in  the  North. 
Among  the  best  localities  are  those  near  Ashland,  Bay-        ^:  C~ 

field,  Noquebay,  Sparta  and  Westfield,  Wis.;  Cheboygaii',  Gogelw^Smilt 
Ste.  Marie,  and  Watersmeet,  Mich.;  Frontenac,  Duluth,  and  Brule,  Minn. 
For  information  concerning  brook-trout  fishing  in  these  states,  the 
reader  may  address  Hon.  S.  S.  Fifeld,  Ashland,  Wis.,  W.  D.  Tomlin, 
Duluth,  Minn.,  or  Mr.  E.  E.  Thresher,  Kalamazoo,  Mich. 

Black  bass  are  quite  abundant  in  the  lakes  and  streams  of  most  of  the 
Northern  States.  Good  fishing  waters  are  near  Huron,  Sandusky,  and 
Tiffin,  Ohio;  Angola,  Elkhart,  and  Pleasant  Lake,  Ind;  Aroma,  Kanka- 
kee, and   Waukegan,  111;  Buena   Vista,  Okoboji,  and  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa; 


"^t 


92 


Bowling  Green,  Rock  Castle  Springs, 
and  Williamsburg,  Ky.;  Eldorado,  Eu- 
reka, and  Parsons,  Kan;  Allegan,  Battle 
Creek,  Coldwater,  Elk- Rapids,  Goge- 
bic, Petoskey,  and  Sturgis,  Mich;  Alexandria,  Big  Lake,  and  Lake  Pepin, 
Minn.;   Jamestown,  Wahpeton,    and    Thompson,    N,    Dak.;    Columbus, 
|.     Duncan,  and  Waterloo,  Neb. ;  Big  Stone  City,  Dell  Rapids,  and  Wilmot, 
I   S.  Dak.;    Eagle   River,    Florence,    Montello,    Oconomowoc,    Sheboygan 
\  Falls,  and  Summit  Lake,  Wis. 
.^         Mascalonge  fishing  is  excellent  in  the  vicinity  of  Detroit,  Glenwood, 
Little    Falls,   Prior    Lake,  and    Staples  Mill,  Minn.;  Alanson,  Mackinac 
Island,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  and  Seney,  Mich.;  Butternut,  Eagle  River,  Fifield, 
Phillips,  Woodruff,  and  Pelican,  W^is. 

For  pike,  pickerel,  perch,  and  small  bass,  the  angler  may  select  almost 
any  of  the  lakes  and  rivers  in  the  states  mentioned,  and  be  reasonably  sure 
of  good  fishing. 

Accurate  information  in  regard  to  localities,  best  seasons,  etc.,  in  these 
states  ma}'  be  had  by  enclosing  self -addressed,  stamped  envelope  to  one  of 
the  following  anglers:  Col.  W.  T.  Dennis,  Richmond,  Ind;  Dr.  S.  P. 
Bartlett,  Quincy,  111.;  C.  F.  Bates,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  Geo.  A.Johnson, 
Detroit,  Mich.;  Hon.  W.  David  Tomlin,  Duluth,  Minn.;  Dr.  James  A. 
Rankin,  Jamestown,  N.  Dak.;  Dr.  James  A.  Henshall,  Cincinnati,  Ohio; 
J.  N.  Wass,  Beresford,  S.  Dak.;  Geo.  F.  Peabody,  Appleton,  Wis. 


SOUTHERN   STATES. 

Tarpon  fishing — for  which  the  waters  of  the  southern  coast  are  most 
widely  celebrated — may  be  had  at  its  best  along  the  shores  of  Florida. 
Several  of  the  prominent  resorts  are  on  the  gulf  coast,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Apalachicola,  Cedar  Keys,  Punta  Rassa,  Homosassa,  Pensacola,  Tampa, 
Charlotte  Harbor,  Tarpon  Springs,  and  Naples.  The  tarpon  is  also  found 
along  the  coast  of  Louisiana  and  Texas,  where  it  is  known,  locally,  as  the 
"  Grand  Ecaille"  (pronounced  "  grandykye,"  and  signifying  large  scale 
fish),  and  in  some  fishing  towns  it  is  termed  the  "savonilla." 

Other  popular  sea  fishes — notably  the  Spanish  mackerel,  sheepshead, 
sea  bass,  etc. — are  caught  in  abundance  near  Mobile,  Ala. ;  Braidentown, 
Cedar  Keys,  Indian  River,  Jacksonville,  Key  West,  New  Smyrna,  Pensa- 
cola, and  St.  Augustine,  Fla. ;  Brunswick,  Darien,  and  Savannah,  Ga.;  New 
Orleans,  La.;  Mississippi  City,  Miss.;  New  Berne,  Rodanthe,  and  Wil- 
mington, N.  C;  Charleston,  Georgetown,  and  Coosawhatchie,  S.  C; 
Chincoteague,  Hampton  Roads,  Norfolk,  and  Phoebus,  Va. 


93 


he  fresh  \virBer  fishing  is  excel- 
lei\t  in  man}'  portions  of  tiie  Southern 
States,  the  principal  varieties  of  fish 
being-  hhiclv  bass,  perch,  pike,  mullet, 
and  occasionally  trout.  A  few  of  the 
favorite    angling  resorts    are:    Broken 

Arrow^,  Decatur,  Eutaw,  and  Wetumpka,  Ala.;  Corning,  Eureka  Springs, 
Pine  Bluff,  and  Van  Buren,  Ark. ;  Cantonment,  Enterprise,  and  Kissimee, 
Fla.;  Acworthy,  Calhoun,  and  Powersville,  Ga.;  Vinita,  Ind.  Ter. ; 
Bowling  Green,  Rock  Castle  Springs,  ^nd  Williamsburgh,  Ky.;  Raceland, 
and  Washington,  La.;  Hagerstown,  Oakland,  and  Seven  Locks,  Md.; 
Crocker,  Jerome,  New  Florence,  and  Missouri  City,  Mo. ;  Chama,  Espa- 
nola,  and  Fort  Stanton,  New  Mex.;  Clyde,  Pigeon  River,  and  Sylva, 
X.  C. ;  Gourdins,  Kingston,  and  Scranton,  S.  C;  Boyce,  Huntington, 
Manchester,  Reelfoot  Lake,  and  Waverly,  Tenn.;  Kountze,  La  Coste,  and 
Waelder,  Tex. ;  Lexington,  Riverton,  and  Wytheville,  Va. ;  Berkeley 
Springs,  Harper's  Ferry,  and  Sleepy  Creek,  W.  Va. 

References:  J.  H.  Hardaway,  Montgomery,  Ala.;  Col.  J.  A.  Wood- 
son, Little  Rock,  Ark.;  J.  Mortimer  Murphy,  Sponge,  Harbor,  Fla.; 
Harry  C.  Brown,  Atlanta,  Ga.,  Harry  L.  Means,  Louisville,  Ky.;  Col.  J. 
R.  Thornton,  Alexandria,  La.;  J.  A.  Hartner,  Orangeville,  Md.;  Geo.  J. 
Chapman,  720  Pine  Street,  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  J.  Minium,  E.  Las  Vegas, 
New  Mex.;  Edw.  S.  Latimer,  Wilmington,  N.  C;  V.  O.  Hendrick, 
Huntingdon,  Tenn.;  J.  B.  Gilbert,  Houston,  Tex.;  W.  M.  Williams, 
Richmond,  Va. 


EASTERN    STATES. 

Bluefish  and  striped  bass  fishing  t;ake  first  rank  in  the  way  of  angling 
along  the  coast  of  the  Eastern  States — squidding  or  trolling  for  bluefish 
being  a  popular  recreation  in  connection  with  sailing,  and  bass  casting  tak- 
ing precedence  over  all  other  forms  of  sea  fishing,  among  the  scientific 
anglers  whose  principal  pastime  is  with  rod  and  line  on  the  ocean  tides 
from  Cape  May  to  Cape  Cod. 

For  striped  bass  fishing  a  few  of  the  popular  resorts  are  near  Milford, 
New  London,  Southport,  and  Stonington,  Conn.;  Buzzard's  Bay,  Catan- 
met,  E.  Marshfield,  Fair  Haven,  and  Woods  Holl,  Mass.;  Newmarket  and 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.;  Barnegat,  Elizabeth,  Sewaren,  and  Tuckerton,  N.  J.; 
Canarsie,  Mamaroneck,  Giffords,  Fort  Hamilton,  and  Sheepshead  Bay, 
N.  Y.;   Block  Island  (via  New  London),  and  Warren,  R.  I. 


94 


For  bluefish,  the  resorts  above  named  and  many  others  on  the  Eastern 
and  New  England  coast,  from  Delaware  Bay  to  Penobscot  Bay.  The 
localities  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  where  bluefish,  sheepshead,  weakfish, 
kingfish,  and  other  species  of  sea  fish  are  abundant,  within  the  range  speci- 
fied, are  literally  too  numerous  to  mention. 

Brook  trout  fishing  of  excellent  quality  may  be  enjoyed  in  the  vicinitv 
of  Andover,  Litchfield,  and  Shepang,  Conn.;  Middle  Dam,  Parmachenee 
Lake,  Phillips,  and  Rangeley  Lakes,  Me.;  Plvmouth,  Renfrew,  Shelburne 
Falls,  and  Westfield,  Mass.;  Gorham,  Laconia,  and   Salmon  Falls,  N.  H.; 
Dunnfield,  Oak  Ridge,  and  Vernon,   N.  J.;    Alder   Creek,  Ausable,  Adi- 
rondack, Big  Indian,  Boonville,  Callicoon,  Canisteo,  Deposit,  and  Wells- 
ville,  N.  Y. ;  Dingman's  Ferry,  Oakland,  Shohola,  Westfield,  and  White 
Haven,   Pa.;  Abbott's  Run,   Greene,    and    Washington,  R.   L;  Bel- 
low's Falls,  Morrisville,  Summit,  and  Wolcott,  Vt. 

Black  bass  are  abundant  near   Chopinville,  Litchfield,  and  Win- 
"sted.    Conn.;     Belgrade,    Fryeburg,  and    Highland     Lake,    Me.; 
Milford,    Southbridge,    and    West    Acton,   Mass.;   Alton,   Centre 
Conway,    and    Nashua,    N.    H. ;     Dover,    Lake    Hopatcong,    and 
Weston,    N.    J.;     Binghamton,  Canaan,  Clayton,  Dunkirk,   Green- 
wood  Lake,  Lockport,   Oswego,  and   Westport,  N.   Y. ;    Erie,  Free- 
mansburg,  Lackawaxen,   Tunkhannock,  and  West  Conshohocken,  Pa.; 
Cranston,  and  River  Point,  R.  I.;    Back    Bay,    Bellows  Falls,  Ludlow, 
nd  Sheldon,  Vt. 

For  mascalonge  a  few  of  the  favorite  Eastern  localities  are  Clayton, 

Ogdensburg,    and    Theresa,    N.   Y.;    Barton,    and  Newport,  Vt.     Other 

',  V       varieties  of  fresh-water  fish,  /.  e.^  pike,  pickerel,  perch,  etc.,  are  plentiful 

V  ^-      in  many  lakes  and  streams  throughout  the  Eastern  States. 

\^  References:  Dr.  E.  P.  Gregory,  Waterbury,  Conn. ;  Edward  M.  Bland- 

-^.'    ing,  Bangor,  Me.;  Walter  M.  Brackett,  41    Tremont  St.,  Boston,  Mass.; 

^|/     Geo.    C.    Gilmore,    Manchester,   N.    H.;    Robert   D.  Foote,  Morristown, 

1     N.  J.;  Wakeman  Holberton,  18  Vesey  St.,  New  York  City,  N.  Y.;  A.  B. 

^Shipley  &  Son,  Philadelphia,  Pa.;  Chas  F.  Orvis,  Manchester,  Vt. 


^p=fl^'^'^ 


if  ully  distritvTiit^d  cjwex  that  vast  area  of  country  generally  known 
^r  West,"  aire  thousands  of  rivers,  lakes  and  brooks  filled  wdth 
me  of  the  finest  game  fish  in  America.  A  few  of  the  excellent  fishing 
localities  ar^ enumerated  iri  the  followmg  list: 
I  ./For  brook  trout,  rainbow  trout,  and  mountain  trout,  Belmont,  Chico, 
iGlairville,    Fulton,  ^bne    Fine,    Monterey,  Redwood    City,  San    Mateo, 

^^i^Soledad,  and  J^ndsor,  Cal.;  Boulder,  Breckenridge,  Buena  Vista,  Cimar- 
ronTTTelta,  Golden,  Gunnison,  Idaho  Springs,  Longmont,  Montrose,  St. 
Elmo,  and  Villa  Grove,  Colo.;  Camas,  Eagle  Rock,  Inkom,  Rathdrum, 
Sand  Point,  and  Shoshone,  Idaho;  Avon,  Billings,  Butte,  Custer,  Elliston, 
Gallatin,  Garrison,  Heron,  Livingston,  Park  City,  Ravalli,  Red  Rock, 
Stillwater  and  Woodlin,  Mont.;  Carson  and  Palisade,  Nev.;  Albany,  Cor- 
vallis,  Oregon  City,  and  Salem,  Ore.;  Clear  Creek,  Milford,  Ogden,  Rich- 
mond, Smithfield,  and  Thistle,  Utah.;  Carbonado,  Cascades,  Lake  View, 
Olympia,  and  Waitsburg,  Wash.;  Carter,  Fort  Washakie,  Hilliard,  Pied- 

-^mont,  and  Twin  Creek,  Wyo. 

^  For  salmon  fishing  and  sea  fish,  the  following  points  are  excellent : 
Monterey  and  Windsor,  Cal.;  Astoria,  Bonneville,  Columbia,  and  Oregon 
City,  Ore.;  Alderton,  Cascades,  Olympia,  and  Seattle,  Wash.  In  the 
fresh  waters,  inland,  game  fish  are  abundant  from  the  Rocky  mountains  to 
the  Pacific  coast. 

References:  Harry  Babcock,  306  California  St.,  San  Francisco,  Cal.; 
Hon.  L.  B.  France,  Denver,  Colo.;  Chas.  Nathurst,  Sappington,  Mont.; 
Hon.  S.  H.  Greene,  204  Stark  St.,  Portland,  Ore.;  W.  J.  Dermody, 
Ogden,  Utah;  E.  E.  Ellis,  903  ^^^c  Ave.,  Tacoma,  Wash. 


=,^^t^v._^ — 4^^ 


j^^=»,.s,^,,.^'-te=*=-^* 


tsl 


MONTHLY    FISHING    GUIDE. 


"  Mark  well  the  various  seasons  of  the  year, 
When  the  successive  fishing  months  appear; 
In  each  revolving  moon  some  fish  there  be 
That  mav  be  taken  in  river  or  in  sea." 


% 


JANUARY. 

For  the  majority  of  anglers  January  represents  the  **  winter  of  discon- 
tent," so  far  as  fishing  is  concerned.  Florida,  the  perennial  paradise  of  the 
angling  brotherhood,  yields  good  sport  at  this  period  of  the  year,  when  the 
bluefish,  Spanish  mackerel,  sheepshead,  groupers,  and  other  varieties  of  sea- 
fish  bite  well  at  the  favorite  resorts,  named  elsewhere.  On  the  Gulf  coast 
of  Texas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi  and  Alabama,  the  fishing  is  also  good 
during  January. 

FEBRUARY. 

The  month  of  February  is  considered — by  the  fishing  fraternity — 
much  more  welcome  than  its  predecessor.  It  is  three  days  shorter  than 
January,  iand  one  month  nearer  to  the  general  season  of  piscatorial  pleas- 
ures. Winter  fishing  through  the  ice  can  of  course  be  indulged  in  by 
Northern  rodsters,  but  that  is  a  rather  "chill  and  cheerless  pastime "  to 
most  men.  Aside  from  this  amusement  there  is  none  w^ith  rod  and  line  in 
the  North,  and  the  good  fishing  of  the  Gulf  coast  has  one  disheartening 
feature  for  multitudes  of  anglers — it  is  too  far  away. 

MARCH. 

To  the  lover  of  angling,  as  also  to  the  soldier,  the  word  "  March !  " 
signifies  something.  To  the  former  it  means  a  step  nearer,  on  the  calen- 
dar, toward  the  longed-for  fishing  season.  The  tarpon  fisher  greets  it  as 
the  time  of  the  preliminary  skirmish  with  his  favorite  finny  adversary,  and 
the  sea-fishing  of  Florida  is  good.  On  the  whole,  there  is  something 
breezy  about  March,  and  "  It's  an  ill  wind  that  profits  nobody." 


99 


APRIL. 

April  showers  do  something  more  than  "  bring  forth 
May  flowers."  They  bring  forth  those  early  croakers, 
the  frogs,  telling  in  hoarse  yet  happy  voices  to  the  world 
in  general  and  anglers  in  particular  the  glad  tidings  that 
the  Spring  rise  is  in  the  brooks  and  the  trout  are  rising 
too.  In  most  of  the  states  trouting  begins  in  this  variable, 
vernal  month,  and  it  is  held  in  high  esteem  accordingly. 

MAY. 


May  is    the    month    pre-eminently    intended    for    and 

dedicated  to  the  disciples  of  Izaak  Walton.     It  seems  to  be 

universally  accepted  by  the  fraternity  as  the  brightest,  best 

and  balmiest  of    the  twelve  changeful  cycles  of    the    year. 

Local   or   special   restrictions   excepted,  brook   trout  may  be 

legally  taken  in  most  of  the  states  and  territories.     May  is 

stinguished,  also  as  being  probably  the  best   for    tarpon  fishing  in 

southern  waters.     It  is  the  time  when  a  majority  of  anglers  feel  a 

keen  desire  to  "  fight  it  out  on  this  line  if  it  takes  all  summer." 


JUNE. 

June  may  be  termed  the  month  of  the  salmon,  although  it  is  almost 
equally  famous  as  the  month  of  the  black  bass,  which  are  in  season  and 
rise  readily  to  the  artificial  fly  in  most  sections  at  this  period.  The  tarpon 
fishing  is  also  in  its  prime,  and  mascalonge  fishing  of  the  finest  kind  may 
be  had  in  the  St.  Lawrence  River,  about  the  Thousand  Islands,  and  in  the 
Northern  states,  particularly  Wisconsin  and  Michigan.  June  is  a  favorite 
month  for  bluefishing  along  the  Eastern  coast. 

JULY. 

Patriotic  anglers  will  find  almost  universal  freedom  to  go  a-fishing 
for  any  and  all  kinds  of  fish,  and  in  all  sections  of  the  Union — except  upon 
preserves,  leased  or  purchased.  Salmon,  brook  trout,  mascalonge,  black 
bass,  pike,  pickerel,  etc.,  are  all  in  season,  ready  to  be  taken  by  hook — but 
not  by  crook,  except  in  the  form  of  a  gaff. 


^m^ 


ZJT^X"'^ 


AUGUST. 

During  this  month — and  in  man\^  localities  even  during  July — the 
waters  of  inland  lakes,  particularly  through  the  pine  land  and  \vooded  sec- 
tions of  country,  are  "in  bloom,"  as  it  is  technically  called,  the  surface 
being  covered  with  aquatic  seeds  and  vegetation.  In  such  localities,  dur- 
ing this  period,  the  bass,  pickerel  and  mascalonge  fishing  is  poor.  More- 
over, the  angler  receives  so  many  bites,  even  when  the  fish  are  not  to  be 
found,  that  August  is  not  a  popular  month  in  the  calendar,  except  for  sea 
fishing  in  the  East. 

SEPTEMBER. 

Blithe  September  is  a  better  month  for  sea-fishing  than  for  angling  in 
fresh  waters — the  season  for  brook-trout  fishing  having  closed,  in  most 
states,  with  the  end  of  August.  For  striped  bass  fishing  off  the  New  Jer- 
sey and  Connecticut  coast,  September  is  a  favorable  period,  and  the  blue- 
fish,  sheepshead,  weakfish,  etc.,  also  bite  well  at  this  time. 

OCTOBER. 

The  month  of  October  is  more  favorable  for  the  gun  than  for  the  rod 
in  the  Northern  states,  though  persistent  anglers  making  their  annual  fare- 
w^ell  casts,  either  in  the  ocean  surf  or  the  lakes  and  streams,  occasionally 
make  fair  catches.  The  banging  of  the  breech-loader,  however,  takes  the 
place  of  the  humming  of  the  reel  to  a  great  extent. 

NOVEMBER. 

With  the  beginning  of  November  the  better  varieties  of  game  fish  in 
the  sea  having  departed  southward  for  their  winter  sojourn,  and  the  mas- 
calonge, pike,  pickerel  and  perch, — the  only  fresh  water  varieties  avail- 
able— feed  principally  in  deep  water,  "on  their  own  hook,"  instead  of 
taking  other  hooks,  no  matter  how  temptingly  offered. 

DECEMBER. 

For  all  practical  purposes  December  is  a  "  closed  time  "  for  fishing  in 
the  Northern,  Eastern  and  Wiestern  states.  The  inland  waters  are  usually 
closed  by  ice,  and  even  when  open  the  well-stocked  lake  or  stream 
would,  at  this  period,  prove  to  be  a  veritable  "  slough  of  despond  "  for 
scientific  angling.  An}-  wise  Horace  of  the  present  time  would  vary  the 
familiar  advice  given  by  the  late  sage  of  the  1  ribune^  and  say  to  the 
December  angling  enthusiast :     "  Go  South,  young  man,  go  South  ! " 


GAME   AND    SHOOTING. 


'  While  thousands  are  doomed  every 

moment  to  yield  *  ^y^ 

To  business  or  studies  severe, 
The  sportsman  enjoys  the   pure  air 
of  the  field, 
And  roams  without  sorrow  or  fear; 
He  sighs  not  for  honor,  for  splendor,  or  wealth, 

Better  blessings  than  either  attend  him. 
Behold,  on  his  brow  sit  contentment  and  health. 
And  the  dictates  of  conscience  befriend  him." 


The  sportsmen  of  America  have  for  many  generations  past  enjoyed  a 
greater  variety  of  field  sports  than  could  be  found  in  any  other  civilized 
country.  So  numerous,  in  fact,  w^ere  the  varieties  of  game,  and  so  appar- 
ently inexhaustible  the  supply,  that  few  restrictions  vv^ere  placed  upon  the 
shooters,  and  in  consequence  of  this  the  country  has  been  for  fifty  years 
past  overrun  by  not  only  the  native  lovers  of  field  sports,  and  market  gun- 
ners, but  sportsmen  of  foreign  lands  have  swelled  the  throngs  to  exter- 
minate several  of  the  valued  species  of  game — birds  and  animals. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  present  century  the  native  American,  even 
though  his  worldly  possessions  consisted  of  merely  a  simple  shooting  out- 
fit, could  obtain,  comparatively  without  cost,  better  sport  than  European 
princes  could  boast  of  in  their  own  country.  The  United  States  in  reality 
seemed  to  furnish  a  sort  of  Happy  Hunting  Ground  for  the  sportsmen  of 
our  own  land  and  the  wealthy  shooters  of   European  countries.     AH  this, 


however,  has  sadly  changed  during  the  past  twenty-five  years.  The 
bison  or  buffalo,  which  formerly  roamed  over  the  broad  plains  beyond  the 
Mississippi  in  countless  numbers,  now  exists  (on  the  public  domains)  only 
within  the  limits  of  Yellowstone  Park,  where  a  small  band  of  two  or  three 
hundred  has  been  preserved,  though  a  few  wanton  hide  hunters  have,  dur- 
ing the  past  winter,  attempted  to  destroy  the  last  remnant  of  this  distinctive 
species  of  American  game. 

The  destruction  of  the  buffalo  is  but  an  indication  of  the  coming  fate 
of  the  moose,  the  elk,  and  other  valuable  species  of  game,  unless  strict 
protective  laws  are  enacted  and  enforced.  Unfortunately,  the  propagation 
of  game  can  not  be  successfully  undertaken  on  a  large  scale  for  the  public 
benefit,  as  is  done  with  the  better  varieties  of  American  game  fish. 
Twenty  years  ago  the  annual  flight  of  the  migratory  pigeons  darkened  the 
air  in  spring-time,  but  at  present  the  species  seems  to  be  practically  annihi- 
lated. This  result  has  been  reached  by  indiscriminate  slaughter,  princi- 
pally for  the  markets  and  for  trap-shooting  tournaments. 

It  will  be  seen  that  while  American  sportsmen  have  been  blessed  with 
privileges  and  opportunities  in  the  line  of  field  sports  equalled  by  no  other 
nation,  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  none  but  wealthy  sportsmen,  or 
clubs  owning  large  game  preserves,  can  hope  to  find  good  sport  in  any  of 
the  states,   except  perhaps    those    bordering   on  the    Pacific  Coast.     The, 


destruction  of  American  field  sports  for  the  common  masses  would  be  felt 
as  a  national  calamity,  as  the  proper  indulgence  of  the  passion  for  out-door 
recreation  has  done  much  to  foster  and  maintain  the  spirit  of  independence, 
the  manly  vigor  and  remarkable  courage,  which  is  recognized  as  a  charac- 
teristic of  native-born  Americans.  With  the  gradual  passing  away  of  a 
love  for  or  opportunity  to  indulge  in  field  sports,  there  springs  into  exist- 
ance  the  passion  for  more  debasing  pastimes,  as  indicated  particularly  in 
many  of  the  large  cities  and  their  vicinity,  where  gambling,  pugilism,  and 
other  so-called  sports  too  often  take  the  place  of  honorable  out-door  recrea- 
tion, to  a  certain  degree. 

A  careful  historian  once  asserted,  giving  ample  proof  for  the  state- 
ment, that  modern  nations  excelled  in  arts,  sciences,  and  agriculture,  as 
well  as  in  oiher  vocations  of  peace  and  war,  in  proportion  as  the  young 
men  exhibited  a  tendency  to  indulge  in  the  sports  of  shooting,  fishing  and 
other  manly  amusements  of  the  field.  Upon  the  sportsmen  of  America, 
therefore,  devolves  the  duty  of  maintaining  for  future  generations  the  sup- 
ply of  game  birds  and  animals,  which  have,  in  the  past,  been  so  recklessly 
destroyed  without  thought  of  future  consequence.  Public  sentiment  has 
been  aroused  against  the  wanton  slaughter  of  game,  and  it  is  believed  that 
the  efforts  of  local  clubs  and  state  organizations  formed  to  enforce  the 
game  and  fish  laws  will  have  the  effect  of  preventing  the  extermination  of 
valuable  species,  particularly  in  view  of  the  fact  that  a  strong  National 
Game,  Bird,  and  Fish  Protective  Association  has  bjeen  organized,  during 
the  past  year,  to  co-operate  with  local  associations  in  this  direcdon..  -^ 


104 


"  In  the  far-away  northernmost  wilds  of  Maine, 

Where  the  murmuring  pines  all  the  year  complain, 
In  the  unknown  Aroostook's  lonesome  world, 

Or  where  the  waters  of  Moosehead  are  curl'd, 
The  stalwart  wood-cutter  spreads  his  camp, 

In  his  cabin  of  logs  trims  his  winter  lamp  : 
And  many  a  savory  banquet  doth  cheer. 

The  fireside  joys  of  his  wintry-  year. 
With  haunch  of  moose  and  the  dappled  deer." 


THE    MOOSE. 

The  moose  is  the  largest,  as  well  as  the  most  highly  prized  species  of 
the  deer  family  to  be  found  within  the  limits  of  the  United  States. 
Formerly  this  species  w^as  very  abundant  throughout  the  region  of  coun- 
try extending  from  the  wilds  of  northern  Maine  westward  through  the 
wilderness  bordering  on  the  Great  Lakes  and  far  beyond,  but  great  havoc 
has  been  wrought,  especially  during  the  past  twenty-five  years,  in  the  sup- 
ply of  this  variety  of  game.  Comparatively  few  are  killed  annuallv  in  the 
United  States,  and  these  mostly  within  the  limits  of  northern  Maine  and 
the  states  of  the  far  Northwest ;  where  the  pernicious  activity  of  pro- 
fessional hiniters  and  self-styled  sportsmen,  who  kill  the  large  beasts  during 
the  prevalence  of  deep  snows,  will,  if  not  checked,  bring  the  moose  into 
the  list  of  extinct  species  of  American  game  before  the  close  of  another 
decade. 

In  appearance  the  moose  is  large  and  awkward  ;  its  huge  head  and 
broad  nose,  combined  with  '  its  short,  thick  neck,  giving  it  a  rather 
grotesque  look.  The  moose  travels  over  the  ground  with  remarkable 
speed,  not  after  the  style  of  the  common  deer,  with  long  graceful  bounds, 
but  in  a  swinging  trot,  crashing  through  the  thickets  and  over  fallen  logs, 
with  a  noise  that  may  be  heard  quite  a  distance.     This  style  of  locomotion 


105 


is  adopted  onl}'^  when  the  animal  is  suddenly  startled.  If  the  presence  of 
man  is  detected  by  the  wary  animal  while  the  hunter  is  yet  some  distance 
away,  the  moose  moves  off  with  the  greatest  caution,  often  selecting  a 
course  which  the  follower  can  pursue  only  with  the  greatest  difficulty. 
The  endurance  of  the  animal  is  such  that  only  the  hardiest  of  hunters  can 
hope  to  overtake  him  in  a  stern  chase,  when  he  has  once  been  alarmed. 
The  broad,  palmate  antlers  of  the  moose  are  a  distinguishing  feature,  and 
happy  is  the  hunter  who  can  boast  the  possession  of  a  head  as  a  trophy 
taken  from  an  animal  killed  by  himself. 

Still-hunting  or  stalking  the  moose  in  his  native  wilds  is  a  branch  of 
sport  successfully  followed  by  none  except  the  skilled  woodsman  and 
hardy  hunter.  The  fatigue  and  countless  obstacles  to  be  met  with  are  such 
that  comparatively  few  amateur  sportsmen  attempt  it.  More  frequently 
the  animal  is  driven  to  water  by  the  guides  and  woodsmen,  or  attracted  to 
such  localities  by  calling.  The  call  is  made  by  imitating  the  plaintive  low 
of  the  cow  moose,  or  if  required,  the  bellow  of  the  bull  moose.  A  trumpet 
of  birch  bark  is  used,  and  if  the  call  is  properly  made  and  carefully 
repeated  at  intervals,  it  will  seldom  fail  to  bring  the  moose  within  range  of 
the  hunter's  rifle. 

In  northern  Maine  and  in  the  Canadian  Provinces,  the  moose  is  often 
hunted  during  early  winter  by  pursuing  him  on  snowshoes.  Fire  hunting, 
which  consists  in  using  a  jack-lamp  or  torchlight,  is  often  effectively  fol- 
lowed in  midsummer,  along  the  lakes  and  rivers.  This  method  of  shining 
is  not  considered  very  sportsmanlike  by  those  who  possess  the  requisite 
skill  and  endurance  to  adopt  the  style  of  still  hunting.  In  Professor 
Meyer's  entertaining  work,  entitled  "  Sport  with  Gun  and  Rod,"  will  be 
found  two  instructive  articles  on  moose  hunting  —  one  by  the  Earl  of  Dun- 
raven,  the  other  by  Mr.  Charles  C.  Ward,  a  practical  sportsman  and  fine 
descriptive  writer. 


'"^ 


^ 


io6 


'  Far  from  the  cultivated  realm 

Where  human  labor  fells  the  wood. 
Cleaves  the  rich  glebe  and  tills  the  soil, 

Incessant  toiling  for  its  food, 
The  great  elk  of  the  wilderness, 

Boon  nature's  noblest,  fleetest  child, 
Since  the  creation  hath  possess'd 

And  rang'd,  untamable,  the  waste, 
Cropt  the  sweet  grasses  of  the  wild, 

In  savage  freedom  roam'd  and  rac'd." 


THE  ELK. 


The  American  Elk,  frequently  called  the  Wapiti,  is  more  handsome 
and  graceful  than  the  moose,  though  it  does  not  equal  the  latter  in  size. 
In  form  the  elk  closely  resembles  the  common  deer,  and  in  color  it  is  of  a 
yellowish  brown ;  of  a  dark  tinge  in  winter,  and  lighter  in  summer.  The 
antlers  or  horns  are  more  upright  than  in  the  common  deer,  and  are  very 
symmetrical.  The  range  of  the  elk,  which  formerly  extended  over  the 
greater  portion  of  the  United  States,  is  now  restricted  principally  to  the 
far  West.  Beyond  the  Rocky  Mountains,  not  many  years  ago,  the  elk 
could  be  found  in  bands  sometimes  several  himdred  in  number,  but  at  the 
present  time  it  is  rare  to  see  a  herd  of  more  than  fifty,  even  in  favored 
localities  in  Wyoming  and  Montana.  The  great  National  Yellowstone 
Park  has  proved  to  be  a  haven  of  refuge  for  this  variety  of  game,  and  it  is 
believed  by  careful  observers  that  quite  a  large  percentage  of  tffe  elk  now 
roaming  in  the  United  States  have  their  habitat  in  that  natu/al /game  pre- 
serve. Mr.  Hofer,  an  experienced  guide  and  woodsmar 
stone  country,  states  that  the  elk  migrate  annually  to  quit 
moving  to  the  south  and  southwest  to  the  warmer  place^ 
and  returning  to  the  park  when  the  heavy  snows  are  mell 
Still  hunting  is  the  method  commonl}'  employed  in  ic. 
though  occasionally  the  animal  is  killed  in  open  count 
horseback.  The  bands  of  elk  in  the  moinitainous  coun! 
highest  hills,  and  on  the  plains  they  are  to  be  found  usually 
near  the  streams,  in  or  near  the  thickets  of  willows.  '^'^''- 

Elk  hunting  is  exciting  sport,  and  if  careful  restrictive  laws 
are  enforced  to  prevent  the  extermination  of  the  species  it  may  be 
enjoyed  within  a  limited  area  of  country  for  many  years  to  come. 


^^he  Yellow- 

large  extent, 

fate  in  autumn, 

in  the  spring. 

iwing   the  elk, 

hunters  on 

y^quent  the 


107 


THE  VIRGINIA  DEER. 


"And  there  at  their  head,  at  brief  advance, 
I  see  a  stately  stag  in  career, 
A  stag  that  bounds,  that  struggles  for  life, 
The  proud,  the  hunted,  the  frantic  deer. 


The  best  known  and  most  widely  distributed 
species  of  tlie  deer  family  in  America  is  the  com- 
mon red  deer,  or  Virginia   deer,  which  is  to   be 
found  at   the   present  time    in   nearly   every   state 
of   the    Union.      Although    the    common    deer  is 
nature    shy    and    timid,    it    does    not    wholly 
^'         ^ /^^^^//ilPi^rsake  the    haunts  of    civilization,  as  proved  b}' 
'4jie  fact  that  deer  hunting  is  still  a  popular  pastime 
in  Pennsylvania,  'dVvA  New  York  state,  in  the  wilderness  and  mountainous 
country  not  far  from  the  large  towns  and  agricultural  districts. 

Of  the  characteristics  and  methods  of  hunting  this  highly  prized 
variety  of  game  much  has  been  written,  but  no  better  practical  treatise 
exists  than  the  admirable  book  entitled  "  The  Still  Hunter,"  by  Mr.  T.  S. 
Van  Dyke.  Nearly  half  a  century  ago  a  most  attractive  little  volume, 
"The  Deer  Stalkers,"  by  Frank  Forester,  was  published  for  the  enter- 
tainment of  American  sportsmen  and  the  work  is  still  eagerly  read,  but  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  it  is  a  sporting  romance,  with  instruction  as  an 
incidental  feature,  it  cannot  in  this  latter  respect  bear  comparison  with  the 
former  volume. 

Still  hunting  or  deer  stalking  is  by  far  the  most  prevalent  and  popu- 
lar method  of  pursuit.  In  several  states  the  use  of  hounds  or  any  other 
kind  of  dogs  is  prohibited  in  deer  hunting,  as  many  believe  that  hounding 
practically  drives  the  deer  out  of  the  section  where  the  custom  is  common. 
In  the   Eastern  states  the  favorite    localities  for  deer  hunting  are  in  the 


io8 


VJ^ 


^.' 


<^'F 


Adirondack     region     of     northern  'f-^'^^- 

New  York,  and  the  wilderness 
portion  of  Maine.  Farther  west 
deer  are  found  in  abundance,  espe- 
cially in  the  states  bordering  upon 
the  British  possessions. 

In  certain  f>ortions  of  the 
South,  notably  in  Georgia,  the 
time-honored  sport  of  deer  hunting  /- 

with  horse  and  hounds  is  followed  .  / 

to  a  considerable  extent,  but  in  most  portions 
of    the    United    States    the    character  of    the 

country  is  such  that  this  sport  cannot  be  successfully  pursued.  Under 
favorable  conditions  there  can  be  no  more  exciting  sport  than  this,  and 
it  is  one  which  may  be  participated  in  by  both  sexes.  In  fact,  some  of 
the  most  enthusiastic  followers  of  the  chase  in  Georgia  and  Mississippi  are 
ladies.  This  pastime  has  been  thrillingly  described  by  the  late  "Ellen 
Alice,"  and  by  another  charming  writer,  "  Beryl,"  a  lady  belonging  to  one 
of  the  first  families  of  Georgia. 

Fire  hunting  is  a  method  which  can  not  be  endorsed,  as  it  is  success- 
fully put  in  practice  only  during  midsummer,  when  deer  are  driyen  to  the 
lakes  and  riyers  by  the  flies  and  winged  pests,  and  the  game  at  this  season 
is  not  in  proper  condition.  There  is  something  unsportsmanlike  in  float- 
ing within  a  few  yards  of  a  dazed  creature,  and  killing  it  bj-  a  shot  as  it 
stands  half  submerged  in  the  water.  The  same  objections  hold  good  as 
applied  to  driving  deer  with  hounds  down  to  the  lakes  or  streams  in  mid- 
summer for  the  purpose  of  killing.  A  spirit  of  sportsmanship  requires 
that  some  skill  be  displayed  on  the  part  of  the  hunter,  and  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity for  life  given  the  hunted. 


109 


THE  ANTELOPE. 


"I'll  chase  the  antelope  over  the  plain, 
And  the  tiger's  cub  I'll  bind  with  a  chain, 
And  the  wild  gazelle  with  its  silvery  feet, 
I'll  give  to  thee  for  a  playmate  sweet." 


On  the  plains  of  the  West  a  very  popular  and  exciting 

ft    is  that  of    antelope  hunting,  either  with  the  swift 

greyhounds     and    speedy    horses,    or    by    still     hunting. 

The   latter   is    a    difficult    method,    as    the    antelope    is    a 

remarkably     shy    animal,     except    when    its     curiosity     is 

aroused.       It  can    sometimes   be    lured    within    range    by 

the    hunter    lying  in  wait,  concealed  by  a  rock  or  some 

other  object  and   waving  a  handkerchief.     If  the    hunter 

is  carefully  concealed,  and  the  taint  of  his  presence  is  not 

borne  to   the  delicate  nostrils  of    the  game,  the  antelope 

will  approach   nearer  and   nearer  until  within  easy  range, 

their  curiosity  overcoming  their  judgment. 

When  the   hunter  desires  to  approach  the  game  by  stalking,  or  still 

hunting,  the  greatest  of  caution  is  required,  as  he  must  approach  his  quarry 

unobserved,  and  in  doing  so  it  is  often  necessary  to  creep  or 

crawl  through  the  prairie  grass  for  quite  a  distance. 

Several  other  varieties  of  the  deer  family — the  black  tail 
<Ieer,  mule  deer,  etc.  —  furnish  good  sport  to  the  hunters  of 
the  West,  but  the  style  of  hunting  does  not  differ  materially 
from  that  employed  in  following  the  species  already  men- 
tioned, therefore  it  is  unnecessary  to  give  a  description  of 
each.  Judge  Caton's  practical  work,  "  The  Antelope  and 
Deer  of  America,"  gives  valuable  instruction  as  to  the  haunts, 
habits  and  habitat  of  these  game  animals. 


THE    GRIZZLY     BEAR. 


'  Mid  scenes  magnificently  grand 
In  forest  ground  and  mountain  land, 
Savage  and  solitary  lord 
Of  dark  ravine  and  pastures  broad. 
The  grizzly  bear,  beyond  the  dome 
Of  Rocky  Mountains,  holds  its  home." 


The  spice  of  danger  attending  the  sport  of  grizzly  bear  hunting  gives 
it  a  peculiar  charm  to  many  who  are  fond  of  the  wild  sports  of  the  AVest. 
It  is  a  pastime  requiring  coolness  and  skill,  and  should  not  be  attempted  by 
any  amateur  who  knows  nothing  of  the  habits  and  character  of  the  animal. 
The  haunts  of  this  savage  beast  are  in  the  rocky  canyons  and  dense 
thickets  among  the  mountains,  where  the  hunter  is  liable  to  come  upon  it 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly.  If  he  is  not  the  possessor  of  rare  courage^ 
coolness  and  presence  of  mind,  he  may  discover  when  too  late  that  bear 
hunting  has  no  attractions  for  him;  in  fact  that  he  "  has  not  lost  an}^  bear,'* 
and  he  did  not  wish  to  find  any. 

The  principal  danger  is  to  amateurs  or  novices  of  this  description. 
Experienced  hunters  are  always  prepared,  and  are  seldom  killed  or  seri- 
ously injured.  The  appearance  of  a  grizzly  bear,  when  angry,  is  suffi- 
ciently frightful  to  alarm  and  unnerve  any  excitable  person.  In  size  he  is 
a  monster,  specimens  having  been  killed  weighing  nearly  looo  pounds, 
and  the  open  countenance  of  bruin  with  his  murderous  teeth  could  not  be 
considered  reassuring.  The  grizzly  bear  is  most  abundant  west  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  in  the  extreme  northwestern  states  and  territories,  from 
Montana  to  Oregon,  where  he  is  usually  at  home  to  all  comers  who  may 
desire  to  seek  him  persistently.  The  common  black  bear,  less  dangerous 
and  more  widely  distributed,  is  sought  by  hunters  in  many  sections  of  the 
country — being  usually  trailed  and  treed  by  dogs. 


The  mountain  lion  crouching  sat, 

Where  prowl'd  the  lynx  and  fierce  wild-cat  ; 
O'er  crags  sprang  mountain  goats  and  sheep, 

While  hare  and  rabbits  startled,  leap. 


OTHER    FOUR-FOOTED    GAME. 


// 


Along  the  mountain  ranges  near  the  Pacific 
coast  the  CaHfornia  lion,  or  mountain  lion,  an 
Animal  of  great  strength  and  activity,  is  quite 
fiequently  found  by  adventurous  hunters,  and 
the  common  w^ild-cat  and  lynx  are  found  in  many 
if  not  most  of  the  large  forest  areas  of  the 
United  States.  These  animals  are  seldom 
hunted  as  a  specialty,  or  as  affording  a  distinct 
branch  of^''fieI(J  '6p6rts,  but  their  pursuit  is  exciting,  and  their  killing 
is  hailed  w^ith  delight  by  frontiersmen,  whose  flocks  and  herds  suffer  from 
their  depredations.     The  same  is  true  of  the  wolf. 

The  Rocky  Mountain  goat^  and  sheep  —  each  species  being  now  in 
process  of  extermination  —  are  objects  of  interest  to  keen  still  hunters  who 
possess  the  agility  and  endurance  of  Alpine  crag  climbers.  Of  the  com- 
mon hare,  or  rabbit,  the  late  Col.  F.  G.  Skinner  has  given  entertaining 
testimony,  through  the  sportsmen's  journals,  as  to  the  capital  sport  which 
may  be  had  by  pursuing  the  "cotton  tails"  with  well- trained  beagles  ;  and 
of  the  large  jack-rabbit  of  the  West  it  may  be  said  to  his  credit  that  he 
has  been  the  "prime  mover"  —  in  fact,  always  takes  the  lead  in  carrying 
on  the  sport  of  coursing  upon  American  soil,  and  therefore  "  may  his  tribe 
increase." 


M  ^1  ^l 


"  They  come  from  frosty  solitudes,  where  broods  the  Arctic  night, 
Where  deserts  grim,  spread  vast  and  dim,  in  the  auroral  light. 
The  Esquimaux,  with  bended  bow,  fast  paddling  his  canoe, 

Their  flocks ^ath  chas'd  o'er  icy  waste  of  waters  heavenly  blue. 


A 


WATER-FOWL. 


>r 


Most  majestic  of  all  American   species  of  water-fowl  is 
the  great  trumpeter  swan,  of   pure  white  plumage,  graceful 
in  form  and  movement,  large  in  size  —  attaining  about  twenty- 
five,,  pounds    weight  —  but    so   small  in  numbers  that    it    will    no    doubt 
he  J'ecorded,  ere    long,  as   an    extinct   variety  of    game    in    the    United 
'  States. 

]More  numerous  by  far,  yet  still  a  rare  visitant  in  most  sections  of  the 
countr^tA- except  the  lake  and  river  regions  and  the  ocean  coast — is  the 
Can^/isL  goose,  or  common  wild  goose,  considered  a  prize  by  all  lovers  of 
wild  fowl  shooting.  The  wild  goose  shooter,  particular^  in  the  West, 
usually  ensconces  himself  snuglv  under  concealment  of  a  blind,  and  decoys 
(either  live,  domesticated- wild  geese,  or  artificial  figures)  can  be  used  to 
advantage  in  most  sections.  The  brant,  practically,  may  be  regarded  as  a 
*'  small  edition  "  of  the  wild  goose. 

The  several  species  of  ducks  sought  by  wild-fowl  shooters,  rank  in 
about  the  following  order.  First,  the  highly- 
prized  canvas-back,  a  deligacy  by  reason  of  the 
wild  celery  upon  which  it  feeds  in  the  Chesapeake 
Bav,  of  the  south,  and  Lake  Koshkonong,  of  the 
north  ;  then  the  red-head,  closely  resembling  the 
canvas-back  in  size,  appearance  and  habits ;  next  „-^    ^p  x 


^^ 


^ 


"3 


the  mallard,  the  best  known  and  most  eagerly  followed  of  inland  wild 
ducks  ;  and  finally,  the  beautiful  crested  wood-duck,  the  widgeon,  the  pin- 
tail or  spring-tail,  the  gadwall  or  gray  duck,  the  green-winged  and  blue- 
winged  teal,  the  buffel-head,  the  scaup  duck,  etc.  Amateur  sportsmen 
wishing  to  learn  how,  and  when  and  where  to  enjoy  sport  in  this  line 
should  consult  Mr.  W.  B.  Leffingwell's  book  entitled  "  Wild  Fowl  Shoot- 
ing," a  standard  work  on  the  subject. 


/t '  ■" 


WILD    TURKEY. 


■'^^■< 


'This  wandering,  shy,  secluded  bird, 

This  roamer  of  the  forest-ground, 
Thro'  all  the  Western  wilderness, 

In  dense,  embowering  haunt  is  found/ 


As  a  distinct  American  game  bird  of  high 
quaHty, —  closely  related,  through  its  ancestry, 
to  the  fine  fowls  "that  the  commissaries  found" 
when  the  boys  in  blue  were  marching  through 
Georgia — -the  wild  turkey  is  deserving  of  disting- 
uished consideration.  The  wild  turkey  is  con- 
siderably larger  than  the  domestic  bird,  and  the 
adult  male  in  his  native  haunts  is  one  of  the 
proudest  and  handsomest  specimens  of  winged 
game  to  be  found  in  the  United  States. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  present  century, 
when  Daniel  Boone  ^vas  the  pioneer  hunter  of 
the  West,  the  habitat  of  the  wild  turkey  extended 
northward  into  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio  and  the 
Northwestern  states,  but  it  is  now  found  mainly 
in  the  South  and  Southwest.  An  expert  caller, 
imitating  the  yelp  of  the  wild  turkey,  can  usually 
attract  the  wary  birds  within  easy  rifle  range. 
Dogs  are  sometimes  used  in  hunting  wild  turkey's, 
and  the  sport  when  pursued  in  any  proper  style 
is  very  enjoyable.  Col.  James  Gordon  ("Pious 
Jeems"),  of  Mississippi,  an  accomplished  sports- 
man, and  writer,  is  the  author  of  several  instruc- 
tive essays  on  this  subject. 


"5 


PRAIRIE  CHICKENS. 


"When  August  and  September  days 
Flush  the  broad  prairies  with  their  blaze, 
The  young  broods,  now  matur'd,  expand 
Their  wings  and  flutter  o'er  the  land." 

One  hundred  years  ago  the  pinnated  grouse,  or  prairie  ^«| 
chicken,  as  it  is  generally  termed,  was  comparatively  abund- 
ant in  the  East,  particularly  on  the  brushy  plains  of  Long 
Island,  where  it  was  known  as  the  heath  hen.     Now,  the      ^»* 
prairie  chicken  is  essentially  a  Western  game  biixl,  io\xr\(\'xv^.^/jt^ 
numbers  only  in  the  region    beyond   the    Mississippi,  the    ' 
speciies  having  been  exterminated  in  the  East. 

North  and  South  Dakota  cover  probably  the  best  region  for  prairie 
chicken  shooting,  and  if  the  birds  are  properly  protected  during  the  close 
season,  and  non-export  laws  rigidly  enfoixed,  the  land  of  the  'Dakotas*^ 
will  furnish  excellent  recreation  in  this  line  for  future  generations.  With 
well-trained  setters  or  pointers,  ranging  fast  and  free  over  the  broad 
prairie  lands,  where  every  movement  of  the  dogs  and  the  whirring  flight 
of  the  birds  can  be  carefully  noted  by  the  sportsman,  pinnated  grouse 
shooting  stands  well  toward  the  front  in  the  list  of  American  field  sports. 


RUFFED    GROUSE. 


"  Where  greenwood  shadows  shift  and  swim, 
As  in  cathedral  arches  dim. 
There  the  shy  partridge  loves  to  brood, 
Deep  in   the  shelter  of  the  wood." 

This  woodland  hermit — the  pheasant  of  the  East,  and  part- 
ridge of  the  West — is  a  sort  of  country  cousin  of  the  pinnated 
^roj^l^,  flp«pyj(fog^hipken.     In  its  haunts   and  habits  the  ruffed 
-gro^'sfe  is  alinost  the  opposite  of  his  prairie  relative.     He  seeks 
the  secluded  thickets  and  dense  woods,  and  will  seldom  lie  to  the 
point  of  a  dog,  though  a  barking  cur  or  "  partridge  dog  "  will  fre- 
quently tree  him,  and  enable  the  gunner  to  shoot  him  from 
,-a  limb — a  proceeding  not  properly  to  be  classed  as  sport. 
The    ruffed    grouse    is  swift    of    flight,   and,  when 
much  pursued,  is  difficult  to  approach.     The  sportsman 
who  can  kill  a  large  percentage  of  his  birds  on  the  wing, 
in  thick  cover  such  as  the  ruffed  grouse  frcciuents,  may 
certainly  take  rank  as  a  crack  shot,  whether  in  the  wild- 
woods  of  W^isconsin  or  among  the  mountains  of  Maine. 


iir, 


a 


THE    QUAIL. 

"  Sweet  now  at  morn  and  eve  the  quail 
Repeats  its  plaintive,  whistling  note, 
And  softly  fall  the  answering  cries 
That  over  wood  and  corn-field  float." 

The  common  quail,  diversely  known  in 
various  sections  as  Bob  White,  Virginia  part- 
ridge, and  colin,  is  probably  the  most  widely 
distributed  of  upland  game  birds  in  the  countr\-. 
Unlike  most  other  species  the  quail  dwells  closed  ^ 
to  the  farmer's  home,  and  the  whistle  of  "  Bob 
White"  is  often  heard  around  the  bam  and 
the  stacks  of  grain,  when  the  bevies  are 
unmolested. 

Manv  keen  sportsmen  regard  the  quail 
as  the  best  representative  game  bird  of  Amer- 
ica, and  the  various  field  trials — held  annually 
to  decide  the  merits  of  setters  and  pointers,  in 
competition — are  almost  invariably  conducted 
in  localities  where  Bob  White  is  the  only 
game  pursued  to  test  the  staunchness,  nose, 
pace,  style,  and  other  working  qualities  of 
the  dogs.  The  pltimed  quails  of  the  Pacific 
coast — ^the  valley  quail  and  the  moimtain 
quail — are  the  most  beautiful  members  of 
the  happy  family. 


THE    WOODCOCK. 


Where  scarce  the  sun-spears,  quivering  bright, 
Mav  pierce  the  foliage  with  their  light. 
Ah  I  there  so  shadowy  sleeps  the  wood 
Where  hermit  woodcock  seek  their  food." 


.V  species  of  long  bill  that  is  honored  on  sight  is  the 
woodcock,  boring  in  the  moist  meadows  and  dark  forest 
grounds  for  his  daily  food,  but  never  becoming  a  bore 
to  the  lover  of  field  sports.  In  midsummer  the  first,  the 
best,  in  fact  the  onlv  game  bird  that  may  be  legally  killed 
is  the  woodcock.  His  flight  from  among  the  ferns  or 
thickets  is  swift,  almost  ixoiseless,  and  J.  Cypress,  Jr.,  was 
correct  in  asserting  that  "  to  stop  a  woodcock  in  a  thick 
brake,  where  you  can  see  him  only  with  the  eye  of 
faith,  *  ♦  requires  an  eye,  and  a  hand,  and  a 
heart,   which  science  cannot  manufacture." 


119 


The  Warwick  woodlands,  of  Orange  county,  N.  Y.,  were  famous  for 
woodcock  shooting  in  years  gone  by,  but  the  birds  are  now  scarce  in  most 
of  the  Eastern  states,  though  a  fair  number  may  be  bagged  in  a  few  locaH- 
ties,  and  several  Southern  and  Western  resorts,  particularly  the  Mississippi 
bottoms,  still  afford  good  sport  in  summer  and  autumn. 


THE    SNIPE. 


But  rather  seek  the  plashy  swale, 
Low  in  the  moist  and  boggy  vale, 
Or  pass,  thro'  bushy  swamps  that  hide 
With  briery  hedge  the  brooklet  side." 


From  Maine  to  Mexico,  and  from  Connecticut  to  California,  the  snipe 
is  a  semi-annual  visitor,  along  the  marsh-lands  bordering  on  the  lakes  and 
rivers.  Spring  snipe-shooting  is  legal  in  many  states,  but  this  and  summer 
woodcock  shooting  should  be  prohibited — not  alone  for  the  preservation  of 
the  two  species,  but  to  prevent  the  killing  of  other  game  birds,  often  mere 
fledglings,  met  with  by  the  gunners  in  their  rambles. 

The  snipe,  rising -with  a  startled  and  startling  "  skaap,"  and  taking  a 
low,  zigzag  course  across  the  marsh,  is  a  difficult  mark  for  the  tyro,  but  the 
experienced  shooter  who  is  cool  and  deliberate  will  readily  kill  a  large 
proportion  of  his  birds  in  this  line  of  sport.  Snipe-shooting,  in  autumn, 
over  good  dogs,  is  well  worthy  of  the  sportsman's  time  and  attention. 


Nf!5B^^B\< 


s,  ^E  SATO^ff  gMim 


LAST  COLUMN 


--ii    *_i 


VOL.  VII. -NO.  5. 


CHICAGO.    ILL..    SATURDAY.   JULY     14.     1894. 


PRICE    5    CENTS. 


Triggers  Pulled  by  Chi-; Ordered  by  Various  La- 
cago  Militiamen.     I        bor  Leaders. 


Two  H«a  KiII«d  uhI  Many  Mac*  iTb*  PBllmu  CooipMir   rUMtfylf 
Jnlnrad  m  a»  PbM  BmI  Cob-      |        IMom*  to  AriiitisM  katf  Ih* 
Ti»-C»  la  Now  Ob. 


WILL  FICBT  lim  EllT. 


Government's    Military  Bloody  Work  in  the  In- 
Forces  in  California.  diana  Suburb. 


bran  Altar  oc  Sttik- 1 Mob  Takaa  PoMaaiioo al Ow Tawm 


Talk  of  MirliaJ  Law    Creates  One    Man    KU    and    Many 
Widest  EicAemcnt.        {    Wounded  by  the  Renilars^ 


Boyce's  Big  Weeklies 


BAKING  POWDER. — From  one  insertion  of  a  jo  line 
reading  notice  "  Cook  Book  Free''''  in  your  List  -ve 
received  b^oj  replies. 

Price  Baking  Powder  Co.,  Chicago. 

BICYCLES. —  We  are  fairly  deluged  %vith  mail  from  our 
lo  line  ad.' in  your  Weeklies. 

Chas.  H.  Sieg  M'fg.  Co.,  Chicago. 

MEDICINE. —  We  are  convinced  your  papers  are  good  ad- 
vertising mediums. 

Dr.  J.  H.  Schenck  &  Son,  Philadelphia. 

TOBACCO  HABIT  CURE.— W^e  7vill  say  rigid  here  tve 
have  had  better  results  from  your  Weeklies  than  from 
any  papers  zve  used.    Ohio  Chemical  Co.,  Lima,  O. 

MATRinONI  AL  AQB^CW .—^T regard  my  tnonthly  account 
with  you  as  much  of  a  necessity  as  my  rent  and  print- 
er's  bill.  Walter  McDonnell,  Chicago. 

PAY  GENERAL  ADVERTISERS 


TOILET   PREPARATIONS.— ^tfjce'^  Weeklies  beat  any- 
thing ive  ever  satv  for  bringing  results. 

Franco- American  Hygienic  Co.,  Chicago. 

CUTLERY  SPECIALTIES.— r<>?</-  Weeklies  are  positively 
the  best  zue  have  ever  used  for  getting  agents. 

Clauss  Shear  Co.,  Kansas  City. 

NOVELTIES.— H^(?  have  used  Boyce^s  Weeklies  three  years 
and  still  continue.  W.  E.  Skinner,  Boston. 

TELEPHONES. — A    jo    line  ad.    in    your    Weeklies  once 
brought  us  over  400  replies. 

Pure  Tone  Telephone  Co.,  Chicago. 

FURNITURE. — From  one '■^  Agents  Wanted"  ad.  in  your 
Weeklies  one  week  -we  received  about  200  replies. 

Walter  Hill  &  Co.,  Chicago. 

EAR-DRUnS. — My  ad.  in  your  papers  brings  me  replies 
from  all  parts  of  the  country. 

F.  Hiscox,  New  York, 

500,000  ''^"weeki.  Proved 

RATES— $1.60  per  Agate  line,  per  insertion. 

RULES  -Any  advertisement  can  be  discontinued  at  any  time.    No  discount  for  time  or  space. 
Circulation  proved  by  P.  O.  receipts.    Reading  matter  same  rate  as  display. 


AN  ESCAPED  CONVICT; 


The  Plot  Against  Tishie. 


By    LEON    LEWIS. 


tt«  aco.  Mbwr^rnuowtf  Um 


tmte*  CTMfc     M   -Ob10«H     WklBlMr* 


"As- lovely  as  you  are.  Miss.  I'M  strangle  you  and  take  th<im." 


iJ^TafffisZ'^ 


S^tX-'^ 


Jn4  Ik*  d^irdcHcktfW.  I  toU  oToM  n 
■^«  Ttakta.    To  Um  eoDmrr.  «•  b 


^.lurr. 


"^.■K.=a 


;  j2"5fS2 


r'SrSIU"E5?UK!Ji 


H?S 


rj^s-: 


'  rMsnwt  TtaUt.  unfallt 


Only   [Results  Count 


HOROLOQICAL  INSTITUTE.  6>«7  experience  vAth your 
List  lias  been  very  satisfactory. 

Parson  Ide  &  Co.,  Peoria,  111. 

TELEPHONES.— Z?fljrc',s-  Big  Weeklies  pay  us  better  than 
any  papers  xvc  use. 

United  Electric  Telephone  Co.,  Chicago. 

TOBACCO  HABIT  CURE Boyce's  Weeklies  have  ahvays 

paid  us. 
Sterling  Remedy  Co.,  Indiana  Mineral  Spring  Co. 

PIANOS  AND  0\^<^\^S.- -Your  papers  arc  pullers. 

Geo.  p.  Bent,  Chicago. 

LIQUOR  HABIT  CURE.— IFc  get  three  times  more  re- 
plies from  Boyce^s  Weeklies  than  from  any  papers  ive 
use.  Golden  Specific  Co.,  Cincinnati. 

BICYCLES. —  We  are  pleased  ivith  your  list  and  increase 
our  space  -vith  you. 

Rouse,  Hazard  &  Co.,  Peoria,  111. 

CIRCULATION    PROVED  WEEKLY 

WATCHES  AND  JEWELRY.— Z?f>jr«''.t  Weeklies  always 
pay  us. 

National  M'fg  &  Importing  Co.,  Chicago. 

PUBLISHERS. — Boyce's  Weeklies  beat  anything  in  Amer- 
ica in  the  way  of  results.         F.  D.  Dr.\ke,  Chicago. 

CIGARS. —  Our  test  shotvs  Boyce''s  Weeklies  to  pull  Jijteen 
times  better  than  anything  tvc  used. 

Syndicate  Cigar  Factory,  Chicago. 

PATENTS,  -fr^'/wr/  nothing  to  equal  Boyce's  Jl'eeklies. 

rioPKiNs  &  Atkins,  Washington,  D.  C. 

TELEPHONES.—  2'our  List  brings  more  results  than  any- 
thing ive  use. 

Mechanical  Telephone  Co.,  Albion,  111. 

TYPEWRITERS 7'our  Weeklies  pay  us  better  than  any- 
thing ive  haz'e  used  since  ive  have  been  in  business. 

Odell  Typewriter  Co.,  Chicago. 

nUSICAL  INSTRUriENTS.— fF*'  shoiv  our  opinion  of 
Boyce's  List  by  doubling  our  space  this  year. 

Lyon  &  Mealy. 

500,000  ^""weekly  Proved 

RATES    $1.60  oer  Agate  line,    er  Inxertion. 

RULES    Any  advertisement  discontinued  at  any  time  for  any  reason.    No  discount  for  time 
or  space.    Circulation  proved  by  P.  O.  receipts.    Readini;  notices  same  rate  as  display. 

124 


TheGhgaqoWori^d. 


FOUBTB    TEAB.-SO.    301. 


CHICAGO,     nj..    SITXDAT.     JULY    2i,     WM. 


rsicE  i  cssm. 


FRIGHTFUL  EXPLOSION  OF  DYNAMITE  IN  A  COLLIERY  AT  HAZLETON.  PA. 


'  "  While  the  Sticks  Are  Being  Distributed  to  the  Miners  in  the  Shaft  the  Explosion  Takes  Place.  Blowing  at  Least  Fifteen  gS^'tJ 
SS  Men  to  AtcT-s— The  Horrible  Scene  in  the  Pit  When  the  Rescuers  Entered.  '?l2CJSfi 


H^p^iIHEOTHEeGllL.;^^.). 


SIfllillJETS  l^^^ijOftTH  \U  MINE.^^^ 


The  Saturday  Blade 

JEWELRY. —  JVe  receh'e  many  orders  xvith  our  ad.  in 
your  papers  enclosed.  This  is  the  second  season  we 
have  used  the  papers.    Bazzett  &   Uher,  Chicago. 

MEDICINE. —  We  get  more  replies  and  more  dollars  and 
cents  from  your  papers  than  from  any  of  the  14J 
tvecklies  rve  use. 

Chicago   Tablet  Remedy  Co.,  Chicago. 

CIRCULAR  DISTRIBUTORS.— W^c«;t'  pleased  to  state 
that  our  advertisement  in  your  Weeklies  bring  us  in 
phenomenal  returns. 

U.  S.  Distributing   Co.,  Chicago 

RAILROAD. — In  August  vjc  gave  you  our  ad.  for  three 
times.  I  am  hearing  from  it  at  this  tiine,  ( Oct.  ji, 
iSgj.)     A.  H.  Hanson,  G   P.  A.,  I.  C.  R.R.,  Chicago. 

TELEPHONE. —  Tour  Weeklies  bring  results,  we  key  our 
ad.  and  know  where  the  replies  come  from. 

Dixon  &  Co.,  Chicago. 

The  Chicago  Ledger 

PACKING  HOUSE. —H^<?  receive  more  replies  fi  om  your 
Weeklies  than  any  mediums  we  used. 

Armour   Packing   Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

TYPE=WRITERS.—  Tour  papers  arc  pullers. 

Nat.  Typewriter  Co.,  Boston,  Mass. 

CARPET  LOOMS. — My  ad.  in  your  Weeklies  brought  me 
more  and  better  returns  than  any  papers  1  used.  The 
results  are  astonishing. 

C.  N.  Newcomb,  Davenport,  la. 

WATCHES. —  We  must  have  results  and  that  is  what  -ve 
get  when  tve  use  your  papers.      They  pay  us  big. 

Queen   City  Watch   Co.,  Chicago. 

nUSIC. — /n  all  my  experience  I  never  found  any  papers  to 
equal  lioyce^s  Big  Weeklies, 

Henry  J.  Wehman,  New  York. 

MEDICAL  SPECIALTIES.— MV  get  more  returns  from 
your  three  papers  than  any  three  on  our  list. 

Wilcox  Specific  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

The  Chicago  World 


126 


W.  D.  Boyce 

Office 

Building 


112=114 

Dearborn  Street 
Chicago 

JiiTTUiJTJxrinnjiJTJTjTJTJTJTrLn. 

THERE  are  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  -  six 
(186)  outside  rooms  in 
this  building.  It  is  fin- 
ished in  marble,  mosaic, 
metal  and  mahogany,  and 
is  the  most  expensive 
building,  per  cubic  foot, 
yet  erected  in  Chicago. 

It  is  headquarters  in 
Chicago  for  advertising 
agents,  branch  offices  of 
out  -  of  -  town  newspapers, 
special  advertising  agents 
and  correspondents.  The 
newspaper  fraternity  and 
kindred  businesses  are 
largely  gathered  together 
here,  and  save  time  in 
transacting  biisiness  with 
each  other. 

The  Chicago  Newspaper 
Club  occupy  the  entire 
fourth  floor. 

The  publishing  and 
printing  offices  of  the 
Blade,  Ledger,  and 
World  —  "Bovce's  B  i  g 
Weeklies" — are  not  locat- 
ed here  but  at  113-  117 
Fifth  .\ venue. 


wLk^J'^enSiSJ     COtt    OOft    ^A     Postage  at 
Sept.  i5t,  1894     %P^Of.^^O«  I  V?     leper  lb. 

AGENTS'  SPECIALTIES.— roier  IVeeMies  are  paying'- us. 
Monroe  Eraser  Co.,  LaCrosse,  Wis. 

PUBLISHERS.— Tour  papers  are  pullers. 

Passumpsic  Pub.  Co.,  Passumpsic,  Vt. 

CORRESPONDENCE  CLUB.— Our  test  books  show  your      ' 
papers  at  the  top  of  the  ladder. 

Claude  Monroe,  Clarksburg  W.  Va. 

OBESITY    SPECXALXST.— Boy ce's    Weeklies  pay  all  the 

Year.  Dr.  O.  W.  F.  Snyder,  Chicago. 

ADVERTISING  AGENCY.— fF^  /«^    Boyce's     Weeklies' 
the  best  mediums  vje  do  business  tvith. 

Kansas  City  Ad.  Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

MEDICAL    SPECIALTIES.— ^<>jce'A-     Weeklies    pay    us 
better  than  auv  papers  xve  use. 

W.  H.  Chidester  &  Son,  New  York. 


Average  Circulation     /5^  ^  '^     K.  ft  ^     Copies 
for  the  year 3t>tJf3^T/        Weekly 

PATENTS.— fF^  are  much  pleased  with  the  results  we 
obtain  from  our  ad.  in  your  papers. 

Walton  &  Co.,  Washington,  D.  C. 

BOOKS. —  We  find  we  get   better   results  and  more  good 

agents  from  your  Weeklies  than  any  medium  we   use. 

Bee  Pub  Co.,  Chicago. 

ADVERTISING  AGENCY.— /A/j  more  money  to  Boyce's 
Weeklies  than  to  any  newspaper  in  the  country. 

Stanley  Day,  New  Market,  N.J. 

BUGGIES. —  We  have  used  your  papers  many  times.  We 
find  no  better.     Wilbur  H.  Murray,  Cincinnati,  O. 

MEDICINE. —  We  are  in  receipt  daily  of  a  vast  number  of 
orders  from  persons  -who  say  they  saw  our  ad.  in  the 
Blade,  Ledger  or  World.  Tou  have  the  greatest  of 
the  great  weeklies.     Murat  Med.  Co.,  Cincinnati,  O. 

We  contracted  to     tt  ^^    /^  /^  /^     Copies 
prove DUUfUUU  Weekly 

We  have  exceeded      '^  '^     fC  ft  CI     ^^^P'®* 
our  contract  by....     tJfJf^^T/        Weekly 

Every  year  we  have  shown  more  circulation  than  we  agreed  to.    That  Is  a 
practice  we  have.    Put  BOYCE'S  BIG  WEEKLIES  on  the  list. 


I  28 


RETURN  CIRCULATION  DEPARTMENT 

TO— ^   202  Main  Library                    642-3403 

LOAN  PERIOD    l 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

LIBRARY   USE 

This  book  is  due  before  closing  time  on  the  lost  date  stamped  below 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BE 

LOW 

SENT  ON  ILL 

SFP  0  7  199'» 

U.  C.  BERKELEY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 
FORM  NO.  DD6A,  20m,  1 1  /78      BERKELEY,  CA  94720 

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